Java Edition 1.16

1.16, the first release of the Nether Update, is an upcoming major update to Java Edition set to release in 2020, which will overhaul the Nether. This update was announced at MINECON Live 2019. The update will not include the announced features for the mountains biome.

Blocks

 * Ancient Debris
 * Can be found at low y-coordinate positions in the Nether, namely between 10 and 20.
 * Can be refined into a Netherite Scrap by smelting in a furnace or blast furnace.
 * Is not affected by explosions.
 * A diamond pickaxe or better is required to mine it.


 * Basalt
 * Makes up basalt pillars.
 * Generates in soulsand valleys.
 * Can be placed directionally, similarly to logs.


 * Crimson and Warped Fungi
 * Generate in crimson and warped forests, respectively.
 * Can be placed on dirt, coarse dirt, farmland, podzol, grass, nylium, soul soil, and grass blocks.
 * Can be bonemealed to be grown into the respective huge fungi when placed on nylium.
 * Unlike mushrooms, fungi cannot spread.


 * Crimson and Warped Nylium
 * Resemble grass blocks.
 * Can be spread to netherrack by using bonemeal on a netherrack block next to a nylium block.


 * Crimson and Warped Planks
 * Does not burn.
 * Crafted from the respective stem.
 * Can be used to craft respective slabs, stairs, fences, fence gates, pressure plates, buttons, doors, trapdoors, and signs.


 * Crimson Roots, Warped Roots, Nether Sprouts
 * Generate in both crimson and warped forest biomes.


 * Crimson and Warped Stem
 * Blocks that comprise the trunks of huge fungi.
 * Have animated textures.
 * Has a top texture similar to regular log blocks.
 * Can be placed directionally, similarly to logs.
 * Does not burn.
 * Have respective stripped variants.


 * Netherite Block
 * Can be crafted with 9 Netherite Ingots.
 * Decorative.
 * Same blast resistance as obsidian, but is movable with pistons.


 * Shroomlight
 * Emits a light level of 15, similarly to glowstone.
 * Can be mined with any tool, but axes are the most efficient.
 * Generate as a part of huge fungi.


 * Soul Fire
 * Blue variant of fire.
 * Fire lit on soul soil is blue fire regardless of dimension.
 * Burns forever, similar to regular fire on netherrack.
 * Generates naturally in the soulsand valley biome in the Nether.
 * Deals damage at a rate of per second as opposed to the  per second of regular fire.


 * Soul Lantern
 * Gives off a light level of 10.
 * Crafted similarly to a normal lantern, using a soul torch instead of a normal torch.


 * Soul Soil
 * Generates in the soulsand valley, alongside conventional soul sand.
 * Fire lit on soul soil is soul fire.
 * The player does not sink and is not slowed when walking in soul soil.


 * Soul Torch
 * Gives off a light level of 10.
 * Crafted similarly to a normal torch, with soul soil being placed under the stick.


 * Warped Wart Block
 * A variation of the nether wart block.
 * Generates as a part of huge warped fungi.


 * Weeping Vines
 * Generates in the crimson forest.
 * Is placed on the bottom of a block and grows downward.

Items

 * Spawn eggs
 * Added Hoglin Spawn Egg.


 * Netherite Scrap
 * Created by smelting ancient debris in a furnace.
 * Used to create netherite ingots.


 * Netherite Ingot
 * Created with 4 gold ingots and 4 netherite scraps.
 * Can be used to upgrade diamond tools and armor.


 * Netherite Armor
 * Crafted with a piece of diamond armor and a netherite ingot.
 * Doesn't burn in lava.
 * Grants one additional point of knockback resistance per item.
 * Tougher than diamond armor.
 * Has a higher durability and enchantability than diamond.


 * Netherite Axe, Hoe, Pickaxe, Shovel, and Sword
 * Crafted with a netherite ingot and the respective item.
 * Do not burn in lava.
 * Have a higher durability, mining level, breaking multiplier, and enchantability than diamond.
 * All items, except the hoe, deal 1 more damage than their diamond counterparts.

Mobs

 * Hoglins
 * Spawn in crimson forests.
 * Drop rotten flesh.

Command format

 * Commands
 * Added.

World generation

 * Biomes
 * Soul sand valley
 * A vast grotto composed of uncovered nether fossils, soul sand, soul soil, large speleothems made of basalt, blue fog, and soul fire.
 * Skeletons, ghasts, and endermen may spawn here.
 * Crimson forest
 * A dense forest with huge crimson fungi. These blocks and fungi are found in patches on the ground and weeping vines are found under the trees.
 * Zombie pigmen and hoglins may spawn here.
 * Warped forest
 * A color variation of the crimson forest, but with somewhat different vegetation and particle, fog effects.
 * Only enderman may spawn here.


 * Basalt Pillar
 * Floor to ceiling pillars of basalt that generate in soul sand valleys.


 * Nether Fossils
 * New fossil structures have been added for the soul sand valley.
 * These fossils are different from the overworld fossils and do not generate with coal ore.


 * Huge Crimson Fungi and Huge Warped Fungi
 * New structure resembling trees found in crimson and warped forests, respectively.
 * Made of crimson and warped stem blocks as well as red nether wart blocks and warped wart blocks.
 * Can be grown from their respective fungi.

General

 * Tags
 * Added block tags.
 * Added item tags.


 * Particles
 * Added.

Blocks

 * Bamboo saplings
 * Renamed to "Bamboo Shoot".


 * Bone blocks
 * Generate as part of nether fossils in soul sand valleys.


 * Gravel and soul sand
 * Generate in soul sand valley biomes.


 * Netherrack
 * Using bone meal on netherrack adjacent to nylium will convert it into nylium.
 * If two nylium blocks of different types are present, it will choose the type at random based on how many blocks of each type are around it.


 * Nether wart blocks
 * Generate as a part of huge crimson fungi.
 * Texture changed.


 * Pistons and Sticky Pistons
 * Hardness was increased to 1.5.
 * Pickaxes are now more efficient on pistons.


 * Smooth quartz
 * Renamed to "Smooth Quartz Block".


 * Walls
 * Walls do not have gaps anymore when stacked vertically.
 * Blockdata now uses "none" "low" and "tall" for east/west/north/south directional values.

Items

 * Clay
 * Renamed to "Clay Ball".

Mobs

 * Endermen
 * Now spawn in soul sand valleys and warped forests.
 * Ghasts
 * Sounds are now heard at a shorter range.
 * Now spawn in soul sand valleys.
 * Skeletons
 * Now spawn in soul sand valleys.
 * Zombie Pigmen
 * Now spawn in crimson forests.

World generation

 * Biomes
 * The old Nether biome is now called Nether Wastes.


 * Structures
 * Shipwrecks and ocean ruins are now less common.

Gameplay

 * Patrols
 * Patrols no longer spawn when the player is close to any intact village.


 * Recipe Book
 * The cartography table recipe now unlocks with paper instead of string.

General

 * Materials
 * Added new nether wood material.
 * Uses the wood material color.
 * Uses default properties.


 * Rendering
 * Improved entity shadows to the ground.


 * Sounds
 * Updated block sounds for bone blocks, netherrack, soul sand, nether wart blocks, nether bricks (and variants), and nether quartz ore.


 * Tags
 * Added crimson and warped wooden items to the block tags.
 * Added crimson and warped wooden items to the item tags.
 * The block and item tags now use the respective  tag.

Blocks

 * Target Block.png Target Block
 * Emits a redstone signal when shot with an arrow.
 * Signal is stronger depending on how close the arrow is to the center of the block. The signal strength goes up to 15.

Mobs

 * Piglin.png Piglins
 * Found in the Nether.
 * Have an adult and baby variant, as zombie pigmen and hoglins.
 * Are naturally hostile towards the player, unless the player is wearing gold armor.
 * Even if the player wears gold armor, piglins will become aggravated towards the player if they open a chest containing any item crafted with or related to gold near the piglin.
 * They can wield gold swords or crossbows.
 * Will drop arrows if wielding a crossbow.
 * Will be able to "barter" (similar to trading) with the player.
 * To barter with piglins, players have to throw them a gold ingot and piglins will throw them an item in exchange.
 * Will attack wither skeletons and adult hoglins.
 * Will be able to spawn with golden armor.

World generation

 * Bastions
 * Fortifications built by piglins that are found in the Nether.

Mobs

 * Hoglins
 * Will be hostile to the player.
 * One of their attacks appears to launch the player high into the air.
 * Will be able to breed using fungi.
 * Will drop a new food item.


 * Zombie pigmen
 * Will be renamed to zombified piglins.

Gameplay

 * Respawning
 * Players will be able to respawn in the Nether.
 * How is currently unknown. This may be indicative of the return of the crying obsidian.

Unconfirmed features
These features were mentioned during the development of Java Edition 1.16 or earlier, or during MINECON Live 2019, but have not been confirmed to be added in this update.


 * Illusioners
 * May be added to raids.


 * Pigs
 * The feature of pigs transforming to zombie pigmen when struck by lightning may be removed.


 * Smithing table and Fletching table
 * May get functionality. It was mentioned during the development of Village & Pillage that it would be added in "...the next major themed update..."