1.16, the first release of the Nether Update,[3] is an upcoming major update to Java Edition set to release in around 2020[2], which will overhaul the Nether. This update was announced at MINECON Live 2019.[1] The update will not include the announced features for the mountains biome.[4]
Planned additions
Blocks
Basalt[5]
- Makes up speleothems.
- Generates in Soul Sand Valleys.
- File:Blue Fire.gif Blue Fire
- Acts the same as regular fire.
- Fire lit on soul soil will be blue fire regardless of dimension.[6]
- Will burn forever, similar to regular fire on netherrack.[7]
- Generates naturally in the soulsand valley biome in the Nether.
- Generates in both netherwart forest biomes.
Soul Soil[8]
- In clips of the soulsand valley, blocks with a similar color scheme to soul sand can be seen, alongside conventional soul sand.
- Fire lit on soul soil will be blue fire.
- Will not slow the player more than soulsand.[9]
- File: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.
- File:Blue Nether Wart Block.png Blue Nether Wart Block
- A variation of the nether wart block.
- Generates in the blue netherwart forest as part of the Nether trees.
- File:Unnamed light block.png Unnamed light block
- A light-emitting block which closely resembles glowstone can also be seen.
- Appears to correspond to the spots seen on new mushrooms, due to how it appears as part of large fungal structures in the netherwart forest.
- File:Red Nether Mushroom.pngFile:Blue Nether Mushroom.png Red and Blue Nether Mushrooms
- At least two new types of mushroom will be added to the netherwart forests.
- Can be used to breed hoglins.[10]
- File:Red Nether Grass.pngFile:Blue Nether Grass.png Red and Blue Nether Grass
- Resembles grass blocks.
- Grows on top of netherrack.
- Comes in red and blue.
- Not known if these are separate blocks or biome coloration variants like with grass blocks.
- File:Nether Vine.png Unnamed Nether vine
- Generates under red nether trees in the red netherwart forest.
- File:Red Nether Wart Trunk.pngFile:Blue Nether Wart Trunk.png Unnamed Nether stems
- Blocks that comprise trunks in the netherwart forest
- Red and blue variants
- Have animated textures
Items
- Spawn eggs
- At least two new spawn eggs, implied to be that of the piglin and hoglin due to its appearance in the footage.
- An unnamed food item
- Will be dropped by hoglins.
Mobs
Have a baby variant.[11]
- Found in the Nether.
- Are naturally hostile towards the player.
- Appear to have a higher melee range than most mobs.
- Can be bred using the new mushrooms[10] and used as a source of food in the Nether.
- Appear to drop raw beef, though this is a placeholder.
- Name has been chosen by the community to be "Hoglin" (previously known as "Piglin Beast" as a placeholder name).[12]
- Has an attack that flings the target into the air, similar to iron golems.
- Found in the Nether.
- Have an adult and baby variant, as zombie pigmen and hoglins.[13]
- Are naturally hostile towards the player, unless the player is wearing gold armor.
- 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.[14]
- Will attack wither skeletons and adult hoglins.
- Will be able to spawn with golden armor.[15]
More mobs will get added in the nether update.[16]
World generation
- The Nether will get at least three new biomes:
- The Soulsand Valley is a vast grotto composed of uncovered fossils, soul sand, soul soil, large speleothems made of basalt, blue fog and blue fire.
- The Netherwart Forest Red is a dense forest with trees made of nether wart blocks. These blocks and fungi are found in patches on the ground and red vines are found under the trees.
- The Netherwart Forest Blue is a color variation of the Netherwart Forest Red, but with somewhat different vegetation and particle, fog effects.
- Bastions
- Fortifications built by piglins that are found in the Nether.[1]
- Unnamed tree-like structures
- Tree structures resembling the new mushrooms that generate in netherwart forests.
- The tree structures will be resistant to fire.[17]
- The blue nether structures will be called blueshrooms.[18][verify]
- Speleothems
- Floor to ceiling speleothems that generate in soulsand valleys made out of Basalt.
Planned changes
Blocks
- Now generates in Soulsand Valley biomes.
- Now generates in Netherwart Forest biomes.
- Now generates in Soulsand Valley biomes.
Mobs
Gameplay
- Players will be able to respawn in the Nether.
- How is currently unknown. This may be indicative of the return of the crying obsidian.[21]
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.
- May get functionality. It was mentioned during the development of Village & Pillage that it would be added in "...the next major themed update..."[22][23]
- Nether wood types
- Maria Lemón stated that she likes the idea of implementing new types of woods. However, it is unknown if they're going to be implemented.[26]
- When the devs posted teasers for the Nether Update, they found Red-like planks, and Blue-like slabs and fences.
Gallery
MINECON Live 2019
A view of the Netherwart Forest Red biome.
- Blue Netherwart Forest.png
A view of the Netherwart Forest Blue biome.
Subsequent screenshots
- Netherwart Forest Blue Fungi.jpeg
A view of the Netherwart Forest Blue, with the red Nether fungi being replaced by two new types of fungi.
A better look at the terrain generation of the Netherwart Forest Red and a new vine block, which will generate within the biome.
- Piglins VS Hoglin.jpeg
Another screenshot which shows two piglins hunting a hoglin. Netherwart blocks seem to be growing on the ground. Note the Piglin wearing golden leggings.
Concept artwork
References
- ↑ a b c "Everything We Announced at MINECON Live 2019" – Minecraft.net, September 28, 2019
- ↑ a b "What we've announced is "this year"" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on X, January 13, 2020
- ↑ "Minecraft Snapshot 19w40a" – Minecraft.net, October 2, 2019
- ↑ "But mountains will come in a later update." – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, September 28, 2019
- ↑ "They are called Basalt." – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 3, 2019
- ↑ "Only soul soil." – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 3, 2019
- ↑ "Yes" – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 5, 2019
- ↑ "Yes it is when you light a soul soil block on fire that you get the blue fire." – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 3, 2019
- ↑ "No I'm not that evil." – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 4, 2019
- ↑ a b "Dad what did you do at work today?". Me: "Fixed a problem with Hoglins. They couldn't get close enough to each other to... um... make baby Hoglins." – @henrikkniberg on X, January 9, 2020
- ↑ a b "No, piglin, don't hunt the baby hoglins." – @henrikkniberg on X, December 5, 2019
- ↑ "Meet the Hoglin" – Minecraft.net, October 19, 2019
- ↑ "Yes!" – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 10, 2019
- ↑ "The Nether: 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Minecraft"
- ↑ "Hmmmm.... OK gotta teach the piglins how not to kill off all the hoglins at once." – @henrikkniberg on X, December 13, 2019
- ↑ "There will be more mobs, don't worry" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on X, January 13, 2020
- ↑ "They don't burn ;)" – @_LadyAgnes (Agnes Larsson) on X, January 28, 2020
- ↑ "Current mood: blueshroom with a bit of lava." – @ProfMobius (Thomas Guimbretière) on X, January 30, 2020
- ↑ "Yes it's just a new name" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on X, September 29, 2019
- ↑ "They will become "zombified piglins", but otherwise more or less the same" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on X, January 24, 2020
- ↑ "I have seen a lot of suggestions for crying obsidian since we announced at Minecon my biggest concern is how would people who are not familiar with Minecraft history understand why the block is for setting your spawn point?" – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 3, 2019
- ↑ "Minecraft Snapshot 19w11a" – Minecraft.net, March 12, 2019
- ↑ "Not in 1.15 and I can't promise anything for 1.16 either I'm afraid." – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, September 30, 2019
- ↑ https://clips.twitch.tv/AnimatedCourteousWalletFUNgineer
- ↑ "We will likely remove that feature, because it will work differently" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on X, September 29, 2019
- ↑ "I like the idea of new wood types." – @MiaLem_n (Maria Lemón) on X, December 3, 2019








![A baby hoglin shown on Twitter.[11]](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/minecraft_gamepedia/images/0/0f/BabyHoglin.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/120?cb=20191231180813)


