Java Edition mentioned features

Since the beginning of Minecraft's development, there have been a number of features that were mentioned by developers at Mojang Studios. These features are either currently planned and have not yet appeared in a development version, or have simply been dropped entirely.

Note that this page only documents features that were mentioned, but are not yet in the game. Features in development versions are described on the parent version page.

Planned
These features are planned to come to Minecraft sometime in the future.

Combat changes
A new combat system is currently in development, containing changes such as the player only being able to attack when their weapon is fully drawn.

Fletching table functionality
Fletching tables are set to gain functionality in a later update, similar to what happened with Smithing tables (originally added as a generic villager job site block and then received player functionality in a future update). Originally, this was planned for "the next major themed update". Later, it was stated that functionality wasn't a guarantee for 1.16. Later, it was confirmed that Fletching tables wouldn’t be gaining functionality in 1.16. It is unknown whether it will be planned for 1.19.

Voted updates
The desert and savanna biome reworks are the two remaining biome reworks from the MINECON Earth 2018 biome chooser vote. It's currently unknown if both biomes will come in 1.19 and are promised to be updated in a future update:

The badlands biome rework is the last remaining biome rework from the MINECON Live 2019 biome vote, as the winning mountains rework will be implemented in Java Edition 1.18, and the swamp rework will be part of Java Edition 1.19. It's currently unknown if the Badlands will come in 1.19 and is promised to be updated in a future update:
 * Deserts will be given palm trees, oases, and meerkats.
 * Savannas will be given baobab trees, termites, and ostriches.


 * Badlands will be given vultures, tumbleweed, and a new cactus based on the Prickly Pear.

The Moobloom and the Iceologer are the two remaining mobs from the Minecraft Live 2020 mob vote. Both mobs could come in an unknown future update as stated by LadyAgnes.

The Glare and the Copper Golem are the two remaining mobs from the Minecraft Live 2021 mob vote. Both mobs could come in an unknown future update.

Super Fancy graphics
Docm77 confirmed in a tweet that sometime in the future, a new graphics setting will be added to Minecraft called "super fancy". It is unknown whether it is the "Fabulous!" graphics setting added in 1.16 Pre-release 1 or another new one. The use of OpenGL 3.2 for rendering in 1.17 may lead towards the Super Fancy graphics. This could also be a reference to the Ray Tracing functionality in Minecraft Bedrock Edition or the scrapped Super Duper Graphics Pack.

Phasing out of NBT-based crafting recipes
In Java Edition 1.14, numerous new blocks were implemented as replacements for certain "complex" crafting recipes, with the replaced crafting recipes relying on NBT data. This included moving inventory tool repair to the grindstone, banner modification to the loom, and map modification to the cartography table. However, several more NBT based crafting recipes still exist, and these are planned to be phased out. Certain blocks that may be added in the future to further this goal include a dedicated fireworks customization block.

In Java Edition 1.14.3, tool repair crafting recipes were reimplemented.

Full split of liquids from blocks
Java Edition 1.13 added waterlogging, marking the start of this separation. An in-development screenshot showing water occupying leaves and flowers, referred to as having "no water blocks", was released in 2018. However, water and lava still exist as blocks, and so far only water sources can occupy other blocks through the waterlogged block state; flowing water and bubble columns cannot occupy other blocks and still and flowing lava cannot occupy other blocks at all.

Having water only occupy one side of a block like a glass pane, but not the other, is also something that has been considered.

Shaders
On the feedback site, shaders (texture packs that have shadows and colored lighting) were marked as announced, meaning that they were going to be implemented. Partially implemented in 1.16 and 1.17 as resource packs can enable similar effects.

Bundle
Originally announced for the Caves & Cliffs update, development of this item was delayed for a future version. Bundles are a storage item that can be used for managing items inside the player's inventory, and allow for combination of multiple item types within single inventory slots.

Goat horn
Originally announced for the Caves & Cliffs update, development of this item was delayed for a future version. Goat horns are an item dropped by goats colliding with a solid block while charging, which can be used to make a horn noise identical to the horn sound heard during raids.

Archaeology
Originally announced for the Caves & Cliffs update, development of this gameplay feature was delayed for a future version. Archaeology will involve players being able to use a new tool known as the Brush to sweep away dirt and gravel in order to discover artifacts. Among these artifacts are Ceramic Shards, which can be incorporated into Clay Pots to make Painted Clay Pots. This feature is not coming in 1.18, although archaeology is coming to the game "soon".

Partially implemented
These features had been shown by a Mojang staff member, but had no further development or were canceled shortly after.

Blaze3D


A new Java Edition rendering pipeline called Blaze3D has been confirmed many times by Searge. There are also many references to this system in the game files, although it has not yet been fully implemented.

Colored Wood Planks
Dinnerbone briefly thought about implementing colored wood planks, releasing a test image on his Twitter page. This however never got implemented, as can be seen from the following quotes. The idea was eventually replaced with colored Terracotta.

The orange and brown plank textures were later modified and used for the Acacia and Dark Oak Planks textures, respectively, in The Update that Changed the World, while Warped and Crimson were added in the Nether Update.

Dirt slab


Before stone slabs were added to 0.26, Notch ran a test of dirt slabs. In the test, they replaced dirt blocks, so that dirt surface without grass was half a block lower than grass. However, dirt slabs failed to dress cliff edges, caves, and ravines nicely. Because of this, they were never added to the actual game and were only mentioned once. They replaced all dirt blocks and did not grow grass on top similar to coarse dirt.

In the announcements for 1.17, a feature called the brush was mentioned, which appears to lower the height of certain blocks. However, it has been confirmed that this is only a special breaking animation, and can't be used to physically make slabs.

Sky Dimension


The Sky Dimension was a planned dimension, intended to be the opposite of the Nether. It could be accessed using third-party programs, but portals to the Sky Dimension were never implemented. The idea was ultimately scrapped    and its code was reused to make the End, which can be seen in versions prior to 14w17a as the End's technical biome was still referred to in the debug menu as "Sky".

Unlike the Sky Dimension, the End has a dark purple sky, no clouds, and the floating islands are made entirely of end stone.

With the addition of the Buffet functionality in Java Edition 1.13 snapshot 18w15a, this can be distantly recreated by using the "Floating Islands" option. The addition of custom world generation in Java Edition 1.16.2 snapshot 20w28a also included a noise preset offering similar functionality.

Mentioned
These features were mentioned at one point, but later abandoned or their current status is unknown. Note that some of these features were mentioned by developers who either no longer work at Mojang, or no longer work on Minecraft.

Mobs
There have been several cases of mobs being mentioned by developers as potential candidates for being added to the game.

Red Dragon
Notch revealed during the 8th Seecret Friday Update that he was planning to add dragons. Later, he mentioned dragons again during MINECON 2010.

On October 12th, 2011, he announced on Twitter that after the addition of the Ender Dragon, he was planning to add "slightly less dangerous" red dragons, which would be able to land and wouldn't destroy terrain.

In a Reddit thread on the same day, when questioned about how Ender Dragons phase through blocks, Notch went on record saying that "less overpowered" red dragons in the Overworld that wouldn't go through terrain would eventually be added. However, the red dragon has not subsequently been added.

Jeb informed participants of his AMA on Reddit that he would add red dragons, but was unsure exactly how.

On October 22, 2013, Dinnerbone tweeted that the red dragon is "shelved" and not in development.

Later, on December 15, 2013, a Dinnerbone post on Reddit indicated his belief that red dragons likely will be implemented at some point:



Barnacle
Notch commented that sea monsters were a possibility on Minecast on July 21, 2010. He particularly noted the possibility of sharks, though Mojang has since then denied that they will be added. Hostile aquatic mobs like the guardian and drowned have been added since then.

In the 2017 Mob Vote, a sea creature was one of the options. It was known as "Mob A", "The Monster of the Ocean Depths", or the Barnacle. It would have spawned in deep water and attacked players with a tentacle-like tongue to pull players down to drown them.

The Great Hunger and Wildfire
Two other creatures in the Minecon vote of 2017 were given. One was "Mob C, The Great Hunger." It would have had a large mouth capable of removing enchantments from items and would have camouflaged itself by entering the ground with its mouth open upwards. Jeb mentioned that the mob wouldn't have been aggressive, only damaging the player if they accidentally fell into its mouth, and wouldn't have stripped items from players unless players fed it intentionally.

The other mob was "Mob D, The Hovering Inferno." It would have looked like a large blaze with shields instead of rods, and would have spawned with groups of blazes in the nether. This mob was also planned to appear in the Minecraft Dungeons DLC Flames of the Nether under the name "Wildfire," but was cut due to time constraints.

Mob B, the Monster of the Night Skies, was the Phantom, which won the vote and has been added.

Alligator, Monkey, Deer and Pink Dolphin
In 2018, a mob vote was held in which Chinese users could vote on which Chinese animal should be added to Minecraft, to promote the release of Minecraft China. There were five options: Giant Panda, Chinese Alligator, Golden Monkey, White-Lipped Deer, or Baiji Dolphin. The Panda won the vote and was added into the game. It was later stated on Minecraft Feedback that alligators and crocodiles would likely not be added as, like the shark, hostile mobs had to be fantasy creatures. It is unknown whether any of the other mobs will be added.

Meerkat, Ostrich and Termite
In 2018, a biome vote was held between which biome should be the priority to update next. The updated biomes would also come with brand new mobs. There were three options: Desert, Savanna, or Taiga. The taiga won the vote and would be the first biome to be updated. The Taiga included the Fox, while the Desert would have included the Meerkat, and the Savanna would have included the Ostrich and the Termite. There has been no information as to when the Desert and Savanna will be updated.

Vulture
In 2019, another biome vote was held between which biome should be the priority to update next. The updated biomes would also come with brand new mobs. There were three options: Badlands, Swamp, or Mountains. The Mountains won the vote and would be the first biome to be updated. The Mountains included the Goat, and the Swamp included the Frog, while the Badlands would have included the Vulture. The Goat was added in 1.17, while the Frog was announced for 1.19. There has been no information as to when the Badlands will be updated.

Moobloom and Iceologer
In 2020, a mob vote was held between which mob should be added to the game next. There were three options: Moobloom, Iceologer, or Glow Squid. The Glow Squid won the vote and was added into the game. There has been no information as to whether the Moobloom or Iceologer will be added, as they are not planned, but have been mentioned as a future possibility.

Glare and Copper Golem
In 2021, another mob vote was held between which new mob should be added to the game. There were three options: Glare, Allay, or Copper Golem. The Allay won the vote and is set to be added to the game in 1.19. There has been no information as to whether the Glare or Copper Golem will be added, as they are not planned, but have been mentioned as a future possibility.

Pigman Bodyguard
Development of a male mob which may have had no clothes was also mentioned by Dinnerbone in 2012,  but this is not currently being worked on. On April 14, 2020, Dinnerbone clarified that the mob was going to be a pigman bodyguard, which was naked by default so that the player could provide armor for it.

Ambient Mobs
In 2012, Jon Kågström mentioned birds, fish, and tree animals, to "make the game seem more alive". Parrots and four different fish mobs were added in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Prefix Mobs
Notch mentioned prefix mobs in a Brocraft stream. He gave examples of mobs such as "Burning Spiders, Giant Zombies, and Cobble Creepers." Some prefix mobs have been added in the form of cave spiders, charged creepers, strays, husks, drowned, and other mob variants. Giant zombies have technically been added, but are currently unused. In the 3D Shareware April Fools update, the ORDER.txt jokingly mentions "11 new enemy variants including Buff Crepper and Evilshroom II" for a fake game: "MineCraft 3D: Deeper and darker."

Hamsters
Hamsters were also mentioned by Notch in 2010 as a brief, mysterious, kidding suggestion as to what could have been in the then-upcoming Secret Friday update.

Reindeer
Reindeer were another mob acknowledged and suggested initially for Christmas 2015. Minecraft Earth version 0.6.0 added the Jolly Llama, which is supposed to represent a reindeer.

Camouflaging Mob
A mob which camouflages with its environment was a concept considered by Jeb when designing the Shulker, which was originally one of the mob's mechanics during development - the mob would camouflage with the surroundings, but due to difficulties with the code and rendering, he decided to abandon this element of the mob. He stated however that it may happen in the future.

More Illagers
In 2017, a jocular suggestion regarding adding more types of Illagers was posted. One of them, the Pillager, has been implemented in Java Edition 1.14. In Minecraft Dungeons, there is a mob known as the Iceologer, known internally as the Chillager. This mob was also part of the 2020 mob vote.

More Ocean Creatures
A more recent developer hinted about adding mobs involved adding seals/sea lions and/or killer whales /orcas. This may be related to dolphins, which were added about a month later in 18w15a.

Soul Fire Blazes
Soul Fire Blazes were talked about by Jeb. He stated that he doesn't want to make another mob variant, but that it would be interesting to make a mob connected to soul fire.

Audio loops
Loops were unused sounds, found in the game files, and were possibly meant for when the player is in a specific type of location (i.e., in caves, forests, the ocean and beside a waterfall).

Trees
Several features regarding trees have been mentioned throughout the game's history.

Notch mentioned branches in a blog post during Indev. The addition of sideways logs seems to be an alternative for branches. Implemented on chorus trees and Acacia trees, but not on ordinary trees.

Patrick Geuder has expressed a desire to see cherry trees in the game. However, no mention of them being potentially added has ever surfaced.

The implementation of fallen trees (like those currently $$) has also been brought up, but appears to never have been actually undertaken beyond this mention $$. In the 2021 Minecon, a fallen tree was present in a concept art of a birch forest.

Two tree species were mentioned at the biome vote for MINECON 2018 called the palm and baobab. However, both were voted against and are yet to appear in game despite being promised implementation later.

Cave and underground features
Many features relating to the underground and caves have been mentioned historically, but are yet to be seen in-game. Some suggestions which were approved by Mojang include rainbow crystalline caves and cave maps, considered "an interesting idea" by Notch. 1.13 added buffet worlds, which has an option for cave-like generation.

More ores and cave types was a general target proposed by Dinnerbone in late 2013. Since this post, flooded underwater caves have been implemented, along with 1.16 adding Ancient Debris and Nether Gold Ore, and 1.17 adding Copper Ore and Amethyst Crystals.

In Minecraft Live 2020, Caves & Cliffs update was announced, bringing more new types of caves.

Friends list
Notch mentioned on his blog, The Word of Notch, that friends lists would be added after Beta 1.8. The Minecraft documentary team of 2 Player Productions filmed a Keynote roadmap, containing these lines. Kristoffer mentioned on Twitter that he is currently working on friends lists for Scrolls, then for other Mojang games. These will be available for players with Mojang accounts. At MineCon 2012, Jeb stated that it would be a large implementation on the server-side and will be used for all Mojang games, and that is a big project. With the release of 1.16.4, the social interactions menu functions somewhat like a friends menu but not exactly, but the Xbox account system currently used on Bedrock and Java has a friends system.

Inventory changes
An inventory rewrite was originally added in the snapshot 14w17a for Java Edition 1.8, but a roadblock was hit and they had to shelve it before the release of 1.8. Other changes to the inventory have been mentioned, including spectators can now look at people's inventory, visible health/armor bar on all players, seeing players' GUI when spectating from their POV and the return of shift-double-clicking.

Lua scripting
Lua Scripting was a feature mentioned by Notch as a way to create server-side modifications. The server would be able to create custom commands, assign certain server functions to blocks, and create user groups. Players would not have to download scripts within or outside of the client, and therefore no client-side modifications will be necessary. Notch said that he wanted Lua to be an extension for Minecraft, but did not want Lua to turn Minecraft into a game engine.

Lua scripting has been further hinted at by Searge.

Certain plugins such as Spigot or Bukkit support Lua scripting implementation into servers, however these plugins are not created by nor affiliated with Mojang Studios and thus are not an official means in which to implement Lua scripting.

Nether features
Multiple features relating to the Nether have been proposed and acknowledged, such as utilizing the space above the Nether ceiling for something else, non-rectangular nether portals, and nether portals placing players in front if possible.

During the development of the Nether Update, other ideas were discussed, such as dyeable nether portals, which were dismissed as not being priority by Jeb. As a joke feature in Java Edition 20w14∞, funky portals were added and would change color depending on the text data found in a Written Book.

Rare tools/weapons
Dinnerbone said on Twitter he would like to add weapons/tools that cannot be crafted, and only obtained by treasure chests/trading, etc. For example, bows with faster drawback (somewhat implemented with the addition of Quick Charge), boots that increase health, or night vision helmets. However, the attribute system has to be finished first.

Frost Walker and Mending were implemented as treasure enchantments in 1.9 as well as the Curses of Binding and Vanishing in 1.11, and tridents have been implemented in 1.13 as drowned-exclusive weapons, somewhat implementing this feature. In 1.16, treasure enchantments have also been made less accessible (therefore more rare) via nerfing AFK fishing, and the new Soul Speed enchantment is exclusively obtainable through Piglin bartering.

Resource packs
Grum mentioned that there may be easier customization of chat and sheep colors.

Since 1.16, the "color" tag in raw NBT text has been able to accept hexadecimal colors: /tellraw @s {"text":"proof","color":"#FF0000"}

Ryan Holtz stated that he wanted to improve the rendering system to allow for customizable models and animations. Dinnerbone later stated that player models would not be able to be changed.

Seasons
Dinnerbone mentioned on Twitter that he was experimenting with adding seasons, and varying the length of day and night according to season. He also mentioned it during MineCon 2013. Seasons may include changes in color of tree leaves and may also be tied to real time. The later released Minecraft Dungeons has a location called Pumpkin Pastures, which resembles an autumn-themed forest biome.

Spike block
Spikes received a mention in mid-2009 by Notch in a blog post. These were originally planned for, working by extending and retracting spikes (and making them more "spike pistons" than anything), but were replaced by sticky pistons. On May 28, 2012, Dinnerbone stated that he'd like to add spike blocks, but is unsure of how to implement them.

The 1.17 update implemented Pointed Dripstone, which can damage mobs and players that fall on them, or are crushed by them.

Steel
Multiple references to steel were made early on in the game's development. Notch had stated that it could be made using coal and iron ore, and that it could be used for armor and weapons more powerful than iron. In-game, the flint and steel is crafted using iron ingots.

Workbench (Plugin API)
The Plugin API, dubbed "Workbench", is a feature that allows mod developers to easily add more content to the game. In contrast to mods, plugins will not require any alteration of the minecraft.jar file itself, although they will also be slightly limited in their feature set. The Bukkit team will help make the official Plugin API.

Off-hand changes
Changes with the off-hand slot added in Java Edition 1.9 were planned on being added to Minecraft sometime in the future. Specifically, the player would no longer be able to or place blocks with any item in their off-hand slot, similar to Bedrock Edition. However, players would still be able to hold items in the off-hand slot, which still made the off-hand useful for maps and such. Also, blocking would still be able to be activated if the player is holding a shield in their off-hand. However, this regression was later retracted due to massive community backlash.

Cubic chunks
This refers to changing the chunk format to make chunks 16 blocks tall, allowing for infinite world height. Ryan Holtz discussed it with Erik Broes, but they decided they couldn't implement it, because of the difficulty of solving problems such as the occlusion of sky light. The feature was previously rejected by Notch for similar reasons.

Brief mentions
These features were briefly mentioned, but no further information was given after that.

General features

 * More structures in biomes. Since this was mentioned, Woodland Mansions, End Cities, Shipwrecks, Underwater Ruins, Pillager Outposts, Ruined Portals and Bastion Remnants have been implemented.
 * More dimensions. Implemented in the April Fools' update Java Edition 20w14∞. In the Minecraft snapshot 20w21a, the ability to make custom dimensions was added.
 * More rare structures and terrain changes. Partially added with Ice Spikes.
 * All exclusive features ported to Java Edition. See Official pages/Parity issue list for more info.

More specific features

 * Mentioned in 2009


 * In early development, Notch mentioned two more gamemodes, Team Survival Mode and Fortress Mode, which would include the ability to play Capture the Flag.
 * Cobweb blocks being created by Spiders . This functionality appears as an attack in Minecraft Dungeons.


 * Mentioned in 2010


 * Animated swinging Doors.
 * Colliding clouds.
 * Server portals.
 * Moon.
 * Turnips.
 * Dungeon Mode: Same as Survival Mode, except players can't craft or modify the world. Planned to have been used to play missions on pre-made maps. The later-implemented Adventure Mode functions similarly.
 * "Clan" mode.
 * Server-side scripting.
 * Land claim flags: planting a flag (possibly costs gold in Survival mode) claims an area of land. No monsters can spawn or die from age in that area, and only selected players can build in that area.
 * Smoke block: would be generated by fire, be passable, cast shadows, float upwards and disappear after a short time. 1.14 added Campfires, which generate smoke particles similar to what was mentioned, but they are not blocks and do not cast shadows.
 * Gravity: all blocks except possibly Obsidian would be affected by gravity. Floating islands would need Obsidian blobs to stay afloat. Notch later stated that he disliked the idea.
 * More crafting templates: arrows, food, armor, etc. (Possibly added in Java Edition 1.14.)
 * In-game anti-cheat: make the server check for flying, no-clip and increased speed. Add those options to the client, but only enable if the server says it's okay.
 * Make moss grow on rock (likely means that Mossy Cobblestone would spread to Cobblestone) . In 1.17, Glow Lichen was introduced which functions similarly to the idea growing on stone in caves and spreading with Bone Meal.


 * Mentioned in 2011


 * The ability to choose what work saves to the level files.
 * Scarecrows. 1.14 added Pillager Outposts, which can generate a scarecrow-like target structure.
 * Storing of achievements and statistics online.
 * Custom Paintings.
 * Hand-drawn Signs.
 * Exploding Arrows. Partially implemented with the ability to shoot Firework Rockets from Crossbows.


 * Mentioned in 2012


 * Vertical Redstone.
 * Ability to design village buildings. Partially implemented with Structure Blocks.
 * Silk Touch yielding double Slab blocks.
 * Ability to pause the game in multiplayer, but only for ops. Users will then get to chat until the game is back.
 * Minecarts usable as Boats.
 * More colors and texture pack customizations of maps.
 * Flower pots breaking when hit by Arrows. This has been added for Chorus Flowers.
 * Fireworks having effects on mobs, such as scaring Wolves. Implemented with Elytra boosting and damaging mobs if explosive.
 * Maps would have more support for colors and support texture pack textures.


 * Mentioned in 2013


 * Minecart with Dispenser.
 * The image may have just been showcasing the custom tile displays in Minecarts which were added in the next snapshot, 13w02a. Minecart with Dispenser.png


 * Dinnerbone's original demonstration of the  format for resource packs contained a sample properties file for fonts to determine character size and spacing. Despite the game code containing the code to read the files, it never actually uses them leaving character width and spacing to be determined dynamically.
 * Enchanted items apply attributes on use.
 * Adding more places to display scoreboard scores.
 * Colored lighting.
 * A better UI for server admins/ops, inspired by the Twitch user moderation menu.
 * A resource pack-related feature that allows improved Russian font display.
 * Better construction analysis.
 * A new system that could alter weapon behavior.
 * This has been partially implemented in Java Edition 15w34a with the implementation of attack speed.
 * Easier way to implement terrain changes.
 * Portable light (e.g. holding a torch in your hand which provides light).
 * A hug animation . Emotes have been implemented in Bedrock Edition, including a hug animation available for purchase.
 * Blocks of Charcoal, mentioned as something that would need to be implemented as to not complicate the existence of Blocks of Coal.


 * Mentioned in 2014


 * Improved camera controls.
 * Dinnerbone has stated he has an "Ultimate Plan" with Endermites that might include the Dragon Egg.
 * Rewriting the key bind system.
 * Building a custom sound system.
 * Sheep showing their color when shorn, like the Bedrock Edition.
 * Multithreaded terrain generation rendering.
 * Fixes to chunk loading.
 * JSON support on signs and possibly implementing a way to "make it work in survival". Searge later said "The plan is to eventually have every text that can be displayed on the screen use the text component system, then using § won't be necessary anymore."
 * Another rabbit skin.
 * Ryan Holtz originally mentioned adding a slider for cloud height, though he later stated the idea was controversial among the team so he scrapped it.
 * Using the killer rabbit killing mobs for something.
 * Mesa temples.
 * OAuth.
 * Being able to make the world border's center slowly move.


 * Mentioned in 2015


 * Corn
 * In game lore . Implemented in the April Fools' update Java Edition 20w14∞, where books written by "§kDeepest Lore" would appear in End Ship chests, containing short, obfuscated and unserious "orders".
 * Making it so shields are used to block attacks from the side the shield is held on.
 * Allowing mobs to have additional random skins, similar to the kind of variation seen in horses, cats and rabbits.
 * Giving the ability to rotate and mirror structures.  Structure blocks were later given the ability to rotate structures.
 * Minecart improvements after/in 1.10
 * Improvements to the GUI. These would allow the glowing effect to be seen on the inventory player model.


 * Mentioned in 2016


 * Phasing out the minecart with furnace.
 * New musician villager that trades note blocks, jukeboxes, and music discs.
 * A Dragon Head banner pattern.
 * If a piston gets powered and is unable to push, showing a smoke particle effect and playing a small "clunk" sound.
 * If the bow used to craft a dispenser is enchanted, making the arrows fired from the dispenser to act accordingly.


 * Mentioned in 2017


 * Ability to edit the skybox and biome/foliage/light colors in resource packs
 * A set of prismarine blocks with a color scheme matching that of the Elder Guardian, similarly to how regular prismarine imitates normal Guardians.


 * Mentioned in 2018


 * Toggleable enchantment glows
 * Data-driven world generation using json files, allowing for custom structures. Partially added in snapshot 20w28a with the addition of experimental support for custom biomes.
 * A portal that would teleport the player to a different place in the Overworld.


 * Mentioned in 2019


 * Making beds use block models again.
 * A crawling animation.
 * Illusioners in raids.
 * The early 1.15 snapshots included textures for a crystallized honey item and wax block, however, these were allegedly not meant to make it into the game in the first place. Wax block could have been a placeholder for Honeycomb as it serves similar purposes to wax as of 20w45a. The word "wax" is also applied when infusing honeycomb within a certain state of a copper block.
 * Nether Portal like thing that will teleport the player to the Moon or Mars.


 * Mentioned in 2020


 * Nether boats, presumably made out of the new wood or netherite to use in lava. Striders serve a similar purpose.
 * World height limit getting increased. As of 21w06a, the total world height has been increased to 384 blocks, from Y level -64 to 319. Greater world height can be achieved using datapacks.


 * Mentioned in 2021


 * Making the world generation code be part of the vanilla data pack inside the jar file.


 * Mentioned in unknown years


 * Mob-spawning will be more balanced.
 * On Minecraft Feedback Mojang announced that they would implement the idea for making hopper and chest minecarts able to ride boats. The idea was so that it would be easier to transport items across water.
 * "Stone chunks", which would be obtained by smelting gravel and would be used to craft stone bricks

Joke features


Notch and Mojang Studios employees have frequently joked about adding various features to the game.


 * Searge jokingly stated that due to the fact that people didn't dislike the changes in the 15w42a snapshot, he would add a fuel requirement to crafting tables.
 * Koalas in tanks riding on planes with laser rifles was jokingly added to the "maybe later" list by Searge.
 * Hot dogs.
 * Herobrine. In every new major Minecraft update, it says "removed Herobrine", but Herobrine was never implemented. This has also appeared in the changelog for Scrolls version 0.103.0.
 * When Hardcore mode was announced, a joke screenshot of "Ultra Hardcore Mode" was shown, where death would revoke an account's premium status.
 * Jeb joked about adding chips if 100% of the community agreed on what type the chips would be.
 * Jeb joked about adding more types of dragons. In response, MissMarzenia joked "DRAGONS CONFIRMED."
 * Marc joked about adding Top Hats for 1.4.
 * A snapshot named 12marc40awesome containing various joke features such as volcanoes, more dragons, coral, fish, and fish blocks. Partially added in Java Edition 1.13 with Fish and Corals.
 * Pine cones.
 * Dinnerbone joked about adding dwarves when asked about it.
 * A texture known in the game files as "skis.png", was added in the Christmas/New Year update. Its textures were added by Dinnerbone as a red herring.
 * SethBling mentioned a downside of Command Blocks on one of his livestreams, and Dinnerbone joked about removing Command Blocks to accommodate him.
 * Dinnerbone joked that Minecraft pizza would be a good idea to add, and as a joke KrisJelbring stated that pizza is confirmed to be added.
 * After the announcement of Pillagers (over a year before the actual announcement of Village & Pillage), Dinnerbone and Jeb joked about several more villager portmanteaus:
 * Drillager: he comes and pokes holes in things.
 * Fillager: he fixes the previous guys stuff.
 * Thrillager: really likes heights and scary things.
 * Killager: but we kinda already have that.
 * Spillager: prevents you from drinking potions.
 * Stillager: just stands around blocking important doorways.
 * Millager: the only hard working one of the bunch.
 * Krillager: Swims around and gets eaten by whales
 * Henrik Kniberg showcased dancing Hoglins on Twitter while implementing such a dance for Piglins for Bedrock parity. The Hoglin dance was a blooper that will not be implemented.
 * Xilefian joked about adding Worcestershire sauce to Minecraft if people told him what the best foods to pour Worcestershire sauce on are.
 * Block of Eternal Screaming, showcased in multiple official Mojang videos.
 * Mobbo, a joke mob shown in several episodes of the "How We Make Minecraft" series on Minecraft's YouTube channel.
 * Bananas, Barbecue Bananas and a Washing Machine block were joked about being added to the game in a tweet chain by kingbdogz and Xilefian.
 * Hydraulic Excavator Mech Suits were joked about being added by Xilefian. She said it could have lasers, fly with jet engines, make lots of noise, have a holographic HUD that tells you where to dig for diamonds, gives you +400% health, and powered by rabbits' feet to keep it balanced.
 * During the development of 1.19, Kingbdogz joked about that Wardens would ask the player really, really nicely for it to get down and then they would offer some tea and invite it over for some cake.
 * Mojang has made several April Fools jokes:
 * In 2011, the Locked Chest or "Steve Co. Supply Crate" was temporarily added which "allowed" various micro-transactions in the game.
 * In 2013, Mojang released Minecraft 2.0 which contained features such as Pink Withers and Redstone Bugs.
 * In 2014, the default sounds were replaced with a voice (specifically, that of ElementAnimation, a famous YouTuber group known for making several popular videos about Minecraft) saying the name of the sound's source, the music was replaced with a rendition of the title theme of the TV series Game of Thrones (consisting of the word "door" repeated to the tune of the music), and everyone's skins were replaced with modified versions of the villager textures, edited to fit the player model. This was all blamed on the Villagers.
 * In 2015, Mojang released 15w14a, which made all the mobs in the game friendly and loving.
 * In 2016, Mojang released 1.RV-Pre1, which added trendy items of 2016.
 * In 2017, the Mine & Craft Digital Leisure Device was announced on the Minecraft website.
 * In 2018, Mojang released an 8-bit resource pack to 1.12.x and versions from 17w43a to 18w11a clients.
 * In 2019, Mojang released 3D Shareware v1.34, which changed the game's visual style to resemble 1990s video games.
 * In 2020, Mojang released 20w14∞, which added over 2 billion new dimensions.
 * In 2021, Mojang released Minecraft Plus, a screensaver app.

Minecraft 2.0 changelog
The changelog for the April Fools update Minecraft 2.0 contained numerous features that were not actually included. Despite the changelog being part of the joke, many of these features have since been implemented into the game.

The changelog:


 * Gameplay
 * Added new Super Hostile game mode, for a much more challenging Survival experience.
 * Difficulty setting is now per-world and may never be changed once set. (Partially implemented with Difficulty being made world specific and the ability to lock world difficulty)
 * Added new graphics setting “Ultra Realistic” with new patent-pending experimental 4D-rendering. (Partially implemented with various graphical improvements)
 * Added new chase-style 3D camera perspective.
 * Animals
 * Added new realistic food/hunger system to animals.
 * Overfeeding animals may have a negative effect on gameplay.
 * Added a new “Horse” animal, with two different breeds to choose from. (Horses were added in the Horse Update)
 * Each animal now has a gender and personality, introducing new farming mechanics. (Partially implemented with Panda personalities)
 * Added a new rare breed of chicken known as a “Diamond Chicken”.
 * May lay Diamonds or Lapis Lazuli instead of laying eggs.
 * May also blow up from too much pressure. Handle with care.
 * Added new friendly Pink Wither, which is the complete opposite of a Wither.
 * Shoots out Love, which heals the nearby land and causes things to grow faster.
 * Known bug: Having both a Pink Wither and a Wither in your world at the same time may cause up to a 200% increase in framerate. Will be fixed for launch.
 * All animals may be fed Golden Apples to unleash their hidden magical properties (see new Magic section). (Partially implemented with the ability to feed Golden Apples to Horses to breed them)
 * Chickens are now classified as a Monster and are no longer a friendly Animal.
 * Monsters
 * Chickens do not appreciate being looked at and may get upset.
 * Attacking a lone chicken may summon additional chickens to its defense.
 * Zombie Pigmen now spawn with battlesigns and no longer use swords.
 * Fixed a bug causing Skeletons to miss their targets on occasion.
 * Added new Redstone Bug monster (see Redstone section).
 * Blocks
 * Furnaces have a new “heat” mechanic.
 * Heat needs to be regulated in furnaces or they will blow up.
 * Torches now burn out after a period of time, but may be relit with flint and steel.
 * Added new TNT slab, known as an Etho Slab.
 * Renamed Droppers to floppers, by popular community demand.
 * Droppers were deemed too powerful and go against our original vision of the game.
 * Floppers now turn everything that passes through them into raw fish (see Fishing section).
 * Added six (6) new decoration blocks:
 * Mud. (Mud was implemented as a liquid in Minecraft Earth and as a solid block in The Wild Update.)
 * Hay bales. (Hay Bales were added in the Horse Update)
 * Lapis Lazuli. (Was already implemented)
 * Slime blocks. (Slime Blocks were added in the Bountiful Update)
 * Added new compressed storage blocks for commonly mined ores:
 * Coal Block. (Coal Blocks were added in the Horse Update)
 * Lapis Lazuli Block. (Was already implemented)
 * Redstone Block Block.
 * Lapis may now be used for new Lapis furniture.
 * Added dyed glass. (Stained Glass was added in The Update that Changed the World)
 * Walking over many blocks will gradually wear them down, creating many new block variants such as Cracked Stone and Muddy Grass. (Partially implemented with Dirt Paths and new types of cracked stone-based blocks)
 * Redstone
 * Removed all BUD behavior, and added safeguards so that it may never come back.
 * Made Redstone bugs spawn actual Redstone Bugs to assist with debugging.
 * Added new Quantum Entangled Redstone, obtained by mixing 1 Redstone, 1 Diamond and 3 Lapis Lazuli. (Another form of wireless Redstone was implemented with Skulk Sensors)
 * One entangled Redstone dust will connect to another pair elsewhere.
 * No current way of specifying the connection, may in fact connect to another player’s world.
 * Added new BUD blocks. (Observers were added in the Exploration Update)
 * Magic
 * Added new Magic and Luck levels per player. (Partially implemented with Potions of Luck)
 * Finding a Rainbow after rain passes will be the primary way of obtaining Magic.
 * Finding a green-tinted horse will be the primary way of obtaining Luck. (Partially implemented with the addition of green-tinted Zombie Horses)
 * Added new spell system, costing magic to perform a spell.
 * Spells may backfire, depending on Luck.
 * Examples of new spells include:
 * Turn any item into Fish.
 * Turn current biome into another biome (bug: currently only turns into ocean).
 * Ability to remove gravity from other creatures/players in the world. (Partially implemented with the Levitation effect)
 * Fishing
 * Overhauled fishing mechanics. (A Fishing overhaul was added in The Update that Changed the World)
 * New special types of fish may be found in various different biomes. (Partially implemented with the addition of Fish mobs that spawn in specific ocean biomes)
 * Fish may become scared if too much noise is made nearby.
 * Added 28 new achievements for fishing. (Partially implemented with the addition of some new fish-related Achievements and Advancements)
 * Rare chance for extra items to drop when fishing, such as armor and maps. (Partially implemented with fishing treasure)
 * Removed fishing.
 * Having a fish in your possession will drain your health by 1 each second, to help phase out fishing. (Partially implemented with Pufferfish items and mobs which poison players that eat or touch them)
 * Combat
 * Removed crossbows. (Partially implemented with the addition of Crossbows)
 * To deter cheating players on PvP servers, the PvP system has been completely redesigned. (Partially implemented with the combat changes in the Combat Update and the Combat Tests)
 * Players may no longer attack other players directly, but must recruit an army of Monsters and Animals. (Partially implemented with the addition of more tameable and trustable Animals)
 * Each monster/animal has different strengths, weaknesses and abilities whilst attacking or defending in PvP combat. (Partially implemented, as each mob already has different strengths, weaknesses and abilities)
 * New turn-based combat system will help create epic battles that may last hours at a time.
 * World generation & terrain
 * Added many new mysterious adventuring locations. (Many new Structures have been added in many updates)
 * Added 6 new biomes. (Many new biomes were added in The Update that Changed the World and other subsequent updates)
 * Reimplemented the Farlands.
 * Going near the farlands will forcefully enable 3d anaglyph.
 * Known bug: Teleporting towards the farlands may send you half way in the opposite direction.
 * Added dozens of new village building templates. (New Villages were added in the Village and Pillage update)
 * Flattened all terrain out slightly, with the exception of the hills biome to make it seem bigger by contrast.
 * Added floating sky islands. (Partially implemented with the addition of the Outer End islands)