Java Edition 1.9

1.9 is an upcoming update to Minecraft with no set release date, currently only listed in the bug tracker as "Far Future Version - 1.9+", as well as mentioned by the Minecraft Developers. It has been announced that 1.9 snapshots will begin being published in January of 2015.

Additions

 * A way for mod/plugin makers to implement new commands and register them in a simple way.
 * Animation / Entity Models
 * Could possibly include model changes via NBT.
 * Would be implemented via resource packs.
 * This will make better use of changes in the code, so map makers/mod makers can create better/new mobs
 * Basically what had happened with the block data change in 1.8
 * May take some time before it is fully finished

Blocks and Items

 * Dirt Paths

Changes

 * Command blocks
 * New GUI
 * Will contain tab to complete.
 * Clouds
 * New cloud rendering system.
 * Shaders
 * Switch away from using fixed-function OpenGL to using Shaders.
 * Wither
 * A new bar for when there are two withers. It looks like you can have up to 3, but you can split the bar into sections, so now you can have some sort of timer.