Java Edition 1.9

, known as The Combat Update, is an upcoming update to Minecraft with no set release date. It is currently listed on the bug tracker as "Far Future Version - 1.9+" and has been mentioned by the Minecraft developers.

Planned additions

 * Animations / Entity Models
 * Could possibly include model changes within the NBT data.
 * Would be implemented via resource packs.
 * Will make better use of code so that map/mod makers can create better/new mobs.
 * Same as the block data changes in 1.8.
 * May take some time before they are completed.
 * Blocks
 * New block type.
 * New dark colored block
 * Cannot be obtained and does not naturally generate.
 * Has a visual effect on the world.
 * Grass Path
 * A 15/16 block tall grass-like "path". It features a similar texture to the grass block.
 * Captions / Subtitles
 * Subtitles which display for each sound for the hard of hearing/deaf.
 * An example would be "[creeper hissing]"
 * Gameplay
 * New features within the game.
 * Will have few internal changes to the code.
 * Makes it easier for modders to update from 1.8 without wasting their own time.

Planned changes

 * Bosses
 * Proper support for multiple bosses including health bars for each boss.
 * Ender dragon boss fight
 * A redo of the ender dragon's boss fight, making it similar to the fight in Console Edition.
 * Some obsidian pillars will have iron bars surrounding the ender crystal.
 * The ender dragon now breathes purple particles.
 * The dragon will respawn without resetting the End if it has already been killed.
 * Clouds
 * New cloud rendering system.
 * Command blocks
 * New GUI
 * Will contain tab to complete.
 * A way for mod/plugin makers to implement new commands and register them in a simple way.
 * Death messages
 * Death messages will now be displayed on the death screen instead of just in the chat.
 * Shaders
 * Switch away from using fixed-function OpenGL to using Shaders.

Trivia

 * 's title, The Combat Update, was discovered in Mojang's April Fool's prank snapshot, 15w14a, by how snowfall in certain areas was coded to form a QR code that could be scanned to find the text: Minecraft 1.9: The Combat Update. Dinnerbone later confirmed via the Minecraft Reddit that this wasn't a joke.