Java Edition 20w17a

20w17a is the thirteenth snapshot for Java Edition 1.16, released on April 22, 2020.

Additions

 * Added an Entity Distance scale option ranging from 50% to 500%.
 * Difficulty and game rules can now be changed from the "Create World" screen.
 * Added the command.

Blocks

 * Chains
 * New sounds for chains


 * Smithing table
 * Improved smithing table UI.


 * Soul fire torches and soul fire lanterns
 * Renamed "Soul Fire Torch" and "Soul Fire Lantern" to "Soul Torch" and "Soul Lantern."
 * The IDs have been changed to reflect this.


 * Walls
 * Walls now create posts under more blocks, like pressure plates and banners.

World generation

 * Bastion remnants
 * Bastion remnant loot has been tweaked.
 * Ancient debris and netherite scrap have been made generally rarer.
 * Netherite gear can no longer be found in bastion remnants; instead, diamond gear is found.
 * The chances and stack sizes of various items have been tweaked.


 * Ruined portals
 * Now spawn less frequently.

General

 * The "Singleplayer" button will jump directly to "Create World" screen if there are no worlds to select.
 * Chat component style can now select font.
 * Block storage format in chunks slightly changed to speed up various tasks (rendering, pathfinding, world generation, etc.).
 * Full range of Unicode characters is supported, making it possible to type emojis.