Java Edition upcoming features

This page is about upcoming features that have been announced by Mojang employees.

Near future
{| class="collapsible wikitable" style="width: 100%" ! style="width:10em; height:3em" | Version ! Planned changes ! style="width:10em" | Planned release date The Biome Update
 * style="text-align: center;" | 1.7:
 * style="text-align: center;" | 1.7:

World Generation
Additions


 * New Biomes
 * Clay Canyon (also known as Mesa) biome, jokingly referred to as "Disco Mountains".
 * Composed of multiple colored hardened clay.
 * Dead bushes spawn in this biome.
 * Redwood Forest biome.
 * Contains 2x2 Spruce trees.
 * Will have a grass block variant known as Podzol.
 * Currently obtained only by the silk touch enchantment.
 * Contains dirt blocks that do not allow grass to grow.
 * They have a data value of 1.
 * Only obtainable with because there is no visual difference.
 * Moss Stone "boulders" are scattered around in this biome.
 * Dead Bushes, Mushrooms, and Ferns spawn in this biome.
 * A cliff technical biome.
 * Main block is stone.
 * Like Steep hills, not completely vertical.
 * Savannah biome.
 * Curved Acacia-like Trees
 * Black Forest biome.
 * Has extremely dense trees and leaves; dark and dangerous under the canopy even during the day.
 * Birch Forest biome.
 * Possibly new generated structures.
 * Possibly a Skylands-like world type.

 Improvements & Changes 


 * Changes to oceans.
 * Oceans are smaller and take up much less of the map.
 * Biomes have been put into four main categories: snow-covered, cold, medium, and dry/warm. Biomes will attempt to avoid getting placed next to a biome that is too different to itself.
 * Most biomes have uncommon/rare variations.
 * Non-snowy taiga variation.
 * Spruce Trees will generate in Extreme Hills biomes or a variant of them.
 * Snow may now generate depending on Y level, with noise variation.
 * Biome dependent.

Gameplay
 Improvements & Changes 
 * Changes to fishing mechanics.
 * Can now find other items other than fish by fishing, including enchanted fishing rods, damaged fishing rods, name tags, Lilypads, or damaged boots.
 * Up to 15 different items can be caught including new fish types.
 * New fish type called Pufferfish
 * New particle effects.
 * Fishing now has many different particle effects.
 * Falling now has particle effects.
 * Redoing the achievements and statistics system.
 * Will be per world/server.
 * New scoreboard functions.
 * Can now use statistics to create objectives; anything that statistics can track can be used as an objective (can also track achievements).
 * This is the reason why statistics/achievements were changed to be stored per world/server.
 * The /give command can now give items to players with custom names and lore
 * It can also give enchanted items.
 * Water Breathing Potion

Blocks & Items
 Additions   Improvements & Changes 
 * New ground covers
 * Podzol
 * New grass variation
 * Only found in Redwood Forest Biomes
 * Dirt variation
 * Grass can not grow on it
 * Only obtainable through /give
 * New trees.
 * Possibly Cherry Trees added by Patrick Geuder.
 * They vary "seasonally" by having leaf blocks change color every fourth day for three minutes.
 * Contain pink saplings.
 * New Flowers
 * Sunflowers
 * Typically face East.
 * Can be grown, unlike Roses and Dandelions.
 * What appears to be Lavender.
 * Grown up to two blocks in height.
 * Pink Paeonias, called Paeonia.
 * Several colors of Tulips.
 * Two block tall grass.
 * Written Books can now be cloned the same way maps can, but by using Book and Quills instead of Empty Maps.
 * Can clone multiple copies of the same Written Book by putting more Book and Quills in the crafting grid.
 * Item Frames
 * Now drop the item inside them when punched, then drop themselves if they are punched when empty.
 * Will display the name of the item they hold (if it is custom named) when looked at up close.

Miscellaneous
 Additions 
 * Community Feature
 * The ability to select multiple resource packs at once.
 * Resource packs at the top take precedence over those below.
 * Allows for non-manual merging of textures from multiple packs, a sound pack and a different texture pack, etc.

 Improvements & Changes  Bug fixes:
 * Several lighting issues fixed.
 * A lot fewer "black spots" in the terrain generator.
 * Torch bugs in strongholds and mineshafts have been fixed.
 * Rewrite of several option screens.
 * A completely new main options menu.
 * A new "Select Resource Pack" menu.
 * Rewrote Key Config.
 * Function and sprint keys can be changed.
 * Smooth mouse, formerly available by pressing F8, will now use F4 by default.
 * The volume of in game music, Jukebox and Note Block music, hostile mobs, passive mobs, players, weather, blocks/environment, and the master volume can now all be modified separately.
 * Changed the Display Item for the Section, Decoration Blocks, in the Creative Block Option screen
 * - Attempting to tp to an invalid coordinate returns "commands.generic.double.invalid"
 * - Incorrect usage string for `/scoreboard teams empty`
 * - when a pig gets struck by lightning it spawns without a sword
 * - Sometimes Water flows out of newly generated Village Farms
 * - RCON and Scoreboard Command Output Formatting
 * - Missing usage string commands.scoreboard.players.list.usage
 * - Scoreboard team join command fails on invalid team name
 * - Scoreboard option seeFriendlyInvisibles not listed in usage
 * - the letters for the 'off' setting on smooth lighting aren't capitalized
 * - "Reached end of stream" messages in Minecraft server terminal when client pings the server
 * - Invalid teamcolors throw an NPE in the console rather than an error message "invalid color"
 * - /spreadplayers confirmation text is wrong


 * style="text-align: center;" | Unknown
 * style="text-align: center;" | Launcher Updates
 * Multiple Minecraft copies per Mojang account.
 * "Make it prettier".
 * Add the possibility to play Indev and versions of Cave Game.
 * style="text-align: center;" | Unknown
 * }
 * style="text-align: center;" | Unknown
 * }