Java Edition 15w31a

15w31a is the first snapshot released for 1.9.

Gameplay

 * Dominant hand option
 * An option for players to change their dominant hand on their player model
 * Dual wielding
 * Only the main hand can be used for attacking
 * Bows can be used even when something is in the other hand
 * The other hand is invisible in first person view when not holding something
 * Key to swap items between hands, which is by default
 * For example, if you have a pickaxe in your main hand and a torch in your other hand, right click places the torch
 * The off-hand slot is displayed next to the hotbar, on the off-hand side (left for right-hand players and vice versa)
 * Some attributes and enchantments will apply to the off-hand item, while others will not
 * Status effects
 * Levitation status effect
 * Received when player is hit by shulker projectiles
 * Makes player involuntarily float high into the air
 * Can be used to get to higher places


 * Listed as a negative effect due to the potential to kill from fall damage


 * Higher levels of levitation result in faster floating
 * For example, effect level 255 results in neither floating up nor down
 * Effect level 254 results in slow fall (similar to moon gravity)
 * Glowing status effect
 * Received when players or mobs are hit by spectral arrows
 * Makes player's outline glow, seen even through non-transparent blocks
 * Listed as a negative effect because it prevents you from hiding from players once you are hit
 * Supports different colors for different teams to allow usage in competitive maps, team co-op maps, etc.

Blocks

 * Chorus Flowers
 * Spawn on the top of the chorus plant
 * Don't drop when the supporting block is destroyed, so you need to hand-pick them.
 * Can only be planted on end stone in any dimension.


 * Chorus Plants
 * Generate in the End
 * Can be planted using chorus flowers
 * Breaks if the supporting block is broken
 * Drops chorus fruit


 * Dragon Head
 * When powered with redstone, the jaw starts to move up and down
 * Will keep it state when unpowered. if you unpower it while the jaw is closed, it remains closed. If you unpower it while it is open, it remains open.


 * End Rod
 * Generates in the End dungeons
 * Placeable horizontally and vertically which produce white particles
 * Used as a lighting source with the same level of lighting as glowstone
 * Horizontal End Rods can be walked on like half slabs


 * End Stone Bricks
 * Generates in the End dungeons
 * Can be crafted with End Stones


 * Grass Path
 * A 15/16 block tall grass-like “path”. It features a somewhat similar texture to the grass block.
 * Made by right clicking grass with any shovel.
 * Just drops dirt when broken with a silk touch tool.
 * Cannot be obtained in the creative inventory.
 * But, unlike farmland, can be obtained by using the key in creative.


 * Purpur Block
 * Generates in the End dungeons
 * Can be crafted with popped chorus fruit
 * Purpur Pillar
 * Generates in the End dungeons.
 * Can be crafted with purpur slabs
 * Purpur Stairs
 * Generates in the End dungeons.
 * Can be crafted with purpur blocks
 * Purpur Slabs
 * Generates in the End dungeons.
 * Can be crafted with purpur blocks

Items

 * Arrows
 * Fourteen new arrow types.
 * New spectral arrow (gold colored)
 * Shows mob and player outlines in their team color when hit – even when invisible
 * NBT tag for entities to disable outlines
 * The glowing is a status effect – you can find out whether you're glowing from a spectral arrow using the status effect HUD
 * Arrows can be tipped with potions
 * Each differently tipped arrow is available in the creative menu, just like enchanted books
 * Effect is applied on hit


 * Beetroot
 * Restores.
 * Can be found in villages
 * Can be used to craft beetroot soup.
 * Can also be used to craft rose red dye.
 * Was previously only available in the Pocket Edition.


 * Beetroot Soup
 * Restores.
 * Crafted from beetroots and a bowl


 * Beetroot Seeds
 * Used to grow beetroots.


 * Chorus Fruit
 * Obtained from chorus plants
 * Can be eaten even if the player is not hungry, similar to Golden Apples
 * Can be cooked in Furnaces to obtain Popped Chorus Fruits
 * Teleports the player somewhere within a chunk when eaten

Splash Water Bottle
 * Popped Chorus Fruit
 * Obtained from cooking chorus fruit
 * Used to craft purpur blocks
 * Only known use is to put out fire

World generation

 * End City
 * Dungeon-type structure: "Tree" houses made of end stone and new blocks, including stairs
 * Contains the new shulker mob
 * Generates on separate end islands arranged around the main island in a donut fashion
 * Chorus plants
 * Tree/cactus-like arrangements of new purple block.
 * Drop when supporting block is destroyed, like cacti.
 * Drop edible chorus fruit items.
 * Can be farmed by planting the chorus fruit flowers that come from the top of the plants.
 * Grow in stages.
 * End Gateway Portal
 * Appears after killing the Ender Dragon
 * New type of portal, due to its size it is only accessible using ender pearls, or by riding pigs, boats or minecarts.
 * Used to warp to other end islands depending on the direction of the ender pearl throw.
 * When it is generated, it has a purple beacon effect shooting up and down from it. It will then slowly go away.
 * End Gateway will be automatically linked to another one, if it can't find a linked gateway it will output a yellow beam.

Mobs

 * Shulker
 * Short for "Shell Lurker"
 * The shell looks like a purple block
 * It can appear on the ground or walls
 * Appears in the End city dungeons
 * Using commands, they can be made to be part of a team to attack other teams and can be used as defense mobs
 * When attacking, opens up and shoots projectiles which only move along the x/y/z axis
 * Projectiles can be knocked away by attacking them.
 * Getting hit by a projectile causes 2 hearts of damage and provides the levitation status effect
 * It can teleport like an Enderman while attacked or pushed by Piston.

General

 * Options
 * Removed Super Secret Settings and Broadcast Settings
 * Removed Alternate Blocks from video settings

Gameplay

 * Bosses
 * Proper support for multiple bosses’ health bars, so they show at the same time without obstructing each other.
 * Death messages
 * Death messages will now be displayed on the player's death screen as well as in the chat.
 * Inventory
 * Rearranged the survival inventory and the creative "survival tab" to accommodate the new off hand slot.
 * Items
 * You can no longer equip items into the head slot via /replaceitem.
 * Status effects
 * Status effects are now displayed on the HUD, instead of just in the inventory, similarly to Pocket Edition
 * Displays status effect icons ordered by time left
 * Positive effects are on the top row, negative effects on the bottom row
 * Effects that are about to run out blink, faster when closer to running out and also fade away

Commands

 * Allows for mirroring/rotating structures
 * Allows for mirroring/rotating structures

Blocks

 * Armor stands
 * Can now dual wield
 * Dead bushes
 * Will now drop anywhere between 0–2 sticks
 * Trapdoors
 * No longer require supporting blocks

Items

 * Bows
 * The bow in your hotbar now shows an arrow when being drawn.
 * Arrows in the off hand are prioritized over arrows in the rest of the inventory slots.
 * Ender pearls
 * Can now be thrown in creative mode
 * Maps
 * Now display as a mini map when held in the off hand, or if the off-hand slot is occupied; the (old) large version is visible only when held in the dominant hand with both hands free.

World generation

 * End island
 * A set amount of differently-sized pillars are arranged in a circular fashion
 * The tallest pillars have iron bars around their ender crystal
 * This makes it so that you have to climb some of the pillars, making the fight harder
 * The exit portal is pre-generated, but without the dragon egg and portal blocks
 * Infinite number of islands in the end

Mobs

 * Ender dragon
 * Revamped boss fight inspired by the Console Edition.
 * Can be respawned by building a creeper face out of clay.
 * The dragon breathes fire/purple particles on players and mobs
 * The dragon will defend the obsidian pillars more the further the fight progresses
 * Only one dragon egg can be obtained
 * A more controlled dragon
 * Hostile mobs
 * Will now have animations to show that they are attacking.
 * Skeletons
 * Skeletons now animate their bow
 * They pull it out when becoming hostile and draw it back to shoot arrows
 * Have a small chance to spawn with their bow in their left hand
 * Mapmakers can make skeletons shoot potion-tipped arrows
 * Enderman
 * Enderman will now remain aggravated towards the player despite being in contact with water.