The Void as of patch 1.8+, it is pure black and uses the same particle effects as those underwater.
The Void from inside in the nether (captured in Creative Mode 1.8+).
The Void is the term given to the empty space beyond the generated boundaries of each map. It can be seen through gaps in the lowest layer of Bedrock on maps generated prior to the Halloween Update. Until a recent update, when lava generated on layer 2, the bedrock on layer 1 below it was replaced by smooth stone, making it possible to enter the void without hacking. It can now only be entered if one uses a map editor or creative mode to make a hole in the bedrock layer at the bottom of the Overworld or at the top or bottom of the Nether.
It is potentially endless, however, falling into the Void causes the player's health to be depleted by about 4 hearts per second, leading to the player's death in 2.5 seconds or less, should he or she drop.
Entities (mobs and items, excluding the player) entering the Void will be deleted in the following tick (as soon as possible). This may be due to the Void not being part of a Chunk, although it is most likely a deliberate optimization/crash prevention method implemented by Notch.
This has been as of 11w49a. Mobs will fall through the Void until it reached Y=-64 at which point they receive the same damage as the player (4 hearts per second). Items will fall until they reach Y=-64 where they disappear.
Blocks cannot be built on the underside of the Bedrock layer, and although Water and Lava appear to flow into it, they will not actually spread and form beneath the lowest layer. This prevents players from descending into the Void safely via swimming.
There is currently a bug in SMP that will remove chunks client-side, so while the data is still there, the client cannot see it and will glitch if they step on it. This can be fixed by reconnecting or placing a torch next to the missing chunk. If you ride a Minecart into this missing chunk, and then you step out of the Minecart, you will fall to the void and die, regardless if you disconnect and reconnect.
Light cannot travel out or through into The Void.
Destination
- In a map generated prior to the Halloween update, it is possible to find holes in the bedrock that lead into the void.
- Create a Creative world and dig straight down, since in Creative you can destroy bedrock.
- In the End, it is possible to simply jump off the islands. This will immediately drop you into the Void.
Notes
Any entity above layer 127 or below layer 0 will be black. This includes dropped/held items, boats/minecarts and players/mobs.
If water touches the boundary of the Void, the particle effect of the Void will be transmitted through all of the water it is touching.
If someone joins a server with high latency, it can look like they spawned inside "The Void", as the chunks have not spawned yet.
Since 1.8, when joining a server with high latency, since the chunks haven't spawned, "The Void" can glitch between the old blue-sky void and the new black void.
History
- Prior to Beta 1.6, things that fall into the void became black because there is no lighting in there.
- Before Creative mode The Void was much more difficult to access, since Bedrock is impossible to destroy in Survival mode.
- Prior to 1.8, the void was the same color as the sky.
- Prior to 11w48wa the void fog was in all of the modes.
Trivia
- If you open a hole to the void and block off all light sources, you can see that the void does in fact give off light. (Rather, it is the blocks themselves having a light level higher than 0, not the light "shining out of the hole" as it appears to be). However, the bottom of the bedrock on the last layer is completely dark.
- When you fall through the void, you don't get hurt until you reach the Y-coordinate of -64, and then you get hurt for two hearts per half second.
- When you fall into the void on a server with anti flying measures, you are kicked regardless of having a flying mod/hack.
- As of 1.8, entities are now lit in the void.
- The Void can be seen under The Nether, above The Nether and under the overworld. There is also a discussion about if the sky above the clouds can be also counted as The Void.
- TNT can fall into the void, however it doesn't explode.
- Riding a vehicle into the void will result in the player being stuck in the vehicle until he/she dies.
- As of 1.8 the void is now always pitch black and a particle effect occurs above bedrock.
- If flying is enabled in Creative mode (patch 1.8), you can fly around in the top layers of the void without taking damage.
- Falling into the void is the only possible way to die in Creative Mode.
A view of the render distance near bedrock.
- When the player is at a Y coordinate above 64, the void appears blue, and the black fog is not rendered. When the player is at a Y coordinate below 64, the void will change color to black and the fog will get closer to the player.
- If one was to pass the 32 million block limit the player would no longer clip (the blocks become non-solid) and fall through to the void resulting in the players eventual death.
- Shot arrows can stick to the bottom of the lowest level of bedrock (they are stuck on a block in the Void).
- Arrows on fire (that have gone through lava) will disappear once it enters the Void while normal arrows fired by the player do not immediately disappear.
- Pistons do not work at the lowest level of bedrock (or the level above the Void).
- If you destroy bedrock in creative mode and replace it with another block, particles such as rain will still fall through that block.
- In creative mode, you can destroy a block of bedrock, place a torch on the inside of a surrounding block, and, if flying is on, float directly below the open space. you will be able to see much farther in the void. This stops, however, when you move out from under the space.
- If you have flying on in creative mode and start destroying blocks on the bottom bedrock layer, the orange horizon line of the sun will slowly start to appear. Where the horizon line appears depends on what time of day it is when you do this. This appears to be a glitch.
- As of 1.8, if you are in within 5 or so blocks of the void, the particle effect will be visible, along with limited visibility, as if you were on render distance tiny.
- When you die from falling into The Void, your Y position will be -194.83139904585364.
- The top layer of bedrock in the Nether is generated one block higher than the player can place blocks in the Void.
- In The Nether, the Void is red.
- Chickens can be spawned in the void using eggs. Like all other entities however, they die below Y=-64.
Media
- NetherVoid.png
The Void, as seen above the Nether. Fluids, amongst other things, are unable to enter the Void.
The Void, as seen below the Nether via a chunk error. Lava and other blocks are still here, but are invisible due to a client glitch.
- StoneUnderBedrock.png
A picture of how stone can appear at bedrock level because of generated water or lava pool at a low layer. Used mods for visibility.
- 2011-09-10 13.31.57.png
As of 1.8, entities are rendered and can be lit below bedrock.
- 2011-09-22 16.52.26.png
The Void from inside in the nether (captured in Creative Mode 1.8+)
- 2011-09-22 16.53.32.png
Bottom of Bedrock in 1.9 pre-release. Particles can be seen.
- Watervoid.jpg
A picture showing water cannot flow into the Void.




