Java Edition 15w31a

15w31a is the first snapshot released for 1.9, released on July 29th, 2015. Many announced features for 1.9 aren't on this snapshot. However, future snapshots may see the release of these announced features.

Gameplay

 * Dominant hand option
 * An option for players to change their dominant hand on their player model
 * Dual wielding
 * Only the main hand can be used for attacking
 * Bows can be used even when something is in the other hand
 * The other hand is invisible in first person view when not holding something
 * Key to swap items between hands, which is by default
 * For example, if you have a pickaxe in your main hand and a torch in your other hand, right click places the torch
 * The off-hand slot is displayed next to the hotbar, on the off-hand side (left for right-hand players and vice versa)
 * Some attributes and enchantments will apply to the off-hand item, while others will not
 * Status effects
 * Levitation status effect
 * Received when player is hit by shulker projectiles
 * Makes player involuntarily float high into the air
 * Can be used to get to higher places


 * Listed as a negative effect due to the potential to kill from fall damage


 * Higher levels of levitation result in faster floating
 * For example, effect level 255 results in neither floating up nor down
 * Effect level 254 results in slow fall (similar to moon gravity)
 * Hitting the ground still results in the player receiving regular fall damage, if the player had fallen from a high enough elevation.
 * Glowing status effect
 * Received when players or mobs are hit by spectral arrows
 * Makes player's outline glow, seen even through non-transparent blocks
 * Listed as a negative effect because it prevents you from hiding from players once you are hit
 * Supports different colors for different teams to allow usage in competitive maps, team co-op maps, etc.

Blocks

 * Chorus Flowers
 * Spawn on the top of the chorus plant
 * Don't drop when the supporting block is destroyed, so you need to hand-pick them.
 * Can only be planted on end stone in any dimension.


 * Chorus Plants
 * Generate in the End
 * Can be planted using chorus flowers
 * Breaks if the supporting block is broken
 * Drops chorus fruit


 * Dragon Head
 * While a player wears the head and moves, the head's mouth opens and closes repeatedly.
 * When powered with redstone, the jaw starts to move up and down.
 * Will keep its state when unpowered (if it is unpowered while the jaw is closed, it remains closed; If you unpower it while it is open, it remains open).


 * End Rod
 * Generates in the End City dungeons
 * Placeable horizontally and vertically which produce white particles
 * Used as a lighting source with the same level of lighting as glowstone
 * Horizontal End Rods can be walked on like half slabs


 * End Stone Bricks
 * Generates in the End City dungeons
 * Can be crafted with End Stones


 * Grass Path
 * A 15/16 block tall grass-like “path”. It features a somewhat similar texture to the grass block.
 * Made by right clicking grass with any shovel.
 * Just drops dirt when broken with a silk touch tool.
 * Cannot be obtained in the creative inventory.
 * But, unlike farmland, can be obtained by using the key in creative.


 * Purpur Block
 * Generates in the End dungeons
 * Can be crafted with popped chorus fruit
 * Purpur Pillar
 * Generates in the End dungeons.
 * Can be crafted with purpur slabs
 * Purpur Stairs
 * Generates in the End dungeons.
 * Can be crafted with purpur blocks
 * Purpur Slabs
 * Generates in the End dungeons.
 * Can be crafted with purpur blocks

Items

 * Arrows
 * Fourteen new arrow types.
 * New spectral arrow (gold colored)
 * Shows mob and player outlines in their team color when hit – even when invisible
 * NBT tag for entities to disable outlines
 * The glowing is a status effect – you can find out whether you're glowing from a spectral arrow using the status effect HUD
 * Arrows can be tipped with potions
 * Each differently tipped arrow is available in the creative menu, just like enchanted books
 * Effect is applied on hit


 * Beetroot
 * Restores.
 * Can be found in villages
 * Can be used to craft beetroot soup.
 * Can also be used to craft rose red dye.
 * Was previously only available in the Pocket Edition.


 * Beetroot Soup
 * Restores.
 * Crafted from beetroots and a bowl


 * Beetroot Seeds
 * Used to grow beetroots.


 * Chorus Fruit
 * Obtained from chorus plants
 * Can be eaten even if the player is not hungry, similar to Golden Apples
 * Can be cooked in Furnaces to obtain Popped Chorus Fruits
 * Teleports the player somewhere within a chunk when eaten

Splash Water Bottle
 * Popped Chorus Fruit
 * Obtained from cooking chorus fruit
 * Used to craft purpur blocks
 * Only known use is to put out fire

World generation

 * End City
 * Dungeon-type structure: "Tree" houses made of end stone and new blocks, including stairs
 * Contains the new shulker mob
 * Generates on separate end islands arranged around the main island in a donut fashion
 * Chorus plants
 * Tree/cactus-like arrangements of new purple block.
 * Drop when supporting block is destroyed, like cacti.
 * Drop edible chorus fruit items.
 * Can be farmed by planting the chorus fruit flowers that come from the top of the plants.
 * Grow in stages.
 * End Gateway Portal
 * Appears after killing the Ender Dragon
 * New type of portal, due to its size it is only accessible using ender pearls, or by riding pigs, boats or minecarts.
 * Used to warp to other end islands depending on the direction of the ender pearl throw.
 * When it is generated, it has a purple beacon effect shooting up and down from it. It will then slowly go away.
 * When a player or entity warped to another gateway, it will output a yellow beam.

Mobs

 * Shulker
 * Short for "Shell Lurker"
 * The shell looks like a purple block
 * It can appear on the ground or walls
 * Appears in the End city dungeons
 * Using commands, they can be made to be part of a team to attack other teams and can be used as defense mobs
 * When attacking, opens up and shoots projectiles which only move along the x/y/z axis
 * Projectiles can be knocked away by attacking them.
 * Getting hit by a projectile causes 2 hearts of damage and provides the levitation status effect
 * It teleport away like an Enderman when the block supporting it is destroyed.

General

 * Options
 * Removed Super Secret Settings and Broadcast Settings
 * Removed Alternate Blocks from video settings

Gameplay

 * Bosses
 * Proper support for multiple bosses’ health bars, so they show at the same time without obstructing each other.
 * Death messages
 * Death messages will now be displayed on the player's death screen as well as in the chat.
 * Inventory
 * Rearranged the survival inventory and the creative "survival tab" to accommodate the new off hand slot.
 * Items
 * You can no longer equip items into the head slot via /replaceitem.
 * Status effects
 * Status effects are now displayed on the HUD, instead of just in the inventory, similarly to Pocket Edition
 * Displays status effect icons ordered by time left
 * Positive effects are on the top row, negative effects on the bottom row
 * Effects that are about to run out blink, faster when closer to running out and also fade away

Blocks

 * Armor stands
 * Can now dual wield
 * Dead bushes
 * Will now drop anywhere between 0–2 sticks
 * Trapdoors
 * No longer require supporting blocks
 * Iron Bars, Glass Panes
 * No longer having + shape when not connecting any block, but it becomes a rod.

Items

 * Bows
 * The bow in your hotbar now shows an arrow when being drawn.
 * Arrows in the off hand are prioritized over arrows in the rest of the inventory slots.
 * Ender pearls
 * Can now be thrown in creative mode
 * Maps
 * Now display as a mini map when held in the off hand, or if the off-hand slot is occupied; the (old) large version is visible only when held in the dominant hand with both hands free.

World generation

 * End island
 * A set amount of differently-sized pillars are arranged in a circular fashion
 * The tallest pillars have iron bars around their ender crystal
 * This makes it so that you have to climb some of the pillars, making the fight harder
 * The exit portal is pre-generated, but without the dragon egg and portal blocks
 * Infinite number of islands in the end

Mobs

 * Ender dragon
 * Revamped boss fight inspired by the Console Edition.
 * Can be respawned by building a creeper face out of clay.
 * The dragon breathes fire/purple particles on players and mobs
 * The dragon will defend the obsidian pillars more the further the fight progresses
 * Only one dragon egg can be obtained
 * A more controlled dragon
 * Hostile mobs
 * Will now have animations to show that they are attacking.
 * Skeletons
 * Skeletons now animate their bow
 * They pull it out when becoming hostile and draw it back to shoot arrows
 * Have a small chance to spawn with their bow in their left hand
 * Mapmakers can make skeletons shoot potion-tipped arrows
 * Endermen
 * Endermen will now remain aggravated towards the player despite being in contact with water.