Every new Minecraft update is a hugely anticipated release. The upcoming Minecraft 1.20 update is no different, bringing with it a ton of hype from fans across the world.
The theme of Minecraft 1.20 is shrouded in mystery. Only a handful of features are currently announced for the untitled 1.20 update, a stark change from the mountain of information that Mojang announced in the lead-up to 1.19's release.
We'll be covering everything that we know so far about the Minecraft 1.20 update. We'll also give our best guess as to when we'll finally get to play it.
click to enlarge
+ 7New Mobs
One of the most hotly anticipated parts of any new Minecraft update is the introduction of new mobs. Update 1.20 is no different, with two new mobs currently confirmed to be included.
The first of these is the camel, a new passive mob that will give players a new way to traverse Minecraft’s infinite landscape. Unlike Minecraft’s other rideable mob, the horse, camels are happy to be ridden without any taming. All you need is a large saddle to equip it with.
Camels have another advantage over horses; they can jump over walls and fences. This will make getting in and out of walled-off survival bases much easier, adding some much-needed convenience to survival mode exploration. Their enormous jump also makes camels the ideal way to cross large gaps and ravines.
click to enlarge + 7The other new mob currently confirmed for Minecraft update 1.20 is the Sniffer, the winner of the 2022 mob vote. Sniffers are prehistoric mammals that were once thought to be extinct. You’ll be able to resurrect them from eggs found within underwater ruins.
Once a Sniffer has hatched, it will slowly grow, sniffing out new breeds of flowers for you as it does. The names and designs of these flowers haven’t been confirmed yet, but we’re hoping for some outlandish designs based on the Sniffer’s prehistoric roots.
click to enlarge + 7New Blocks
Minecraft Update 1.20 also brings with it many new blocks. Perhaps the most exciting of these new blocks is all the new blocks based around Bamboo.
Bamboo is becoming a fully-fledged building material in update 1.20, gaining every block type that standard wood blocks have. Bamboo blocks, slabs, stairs, and even boats are confirmed, opening up a ton of new building possibilities.
As well as the standard building material features, bamboo wood is getting a unique block - the bamboo mosaic. These mosaic blocks have a detailed pattern that joins up with other blocks to make detailed walls.
click to enlarge + 7Bookshelves are also getting an upgrade in Minecraft 1.20, with the addition of the new chiseled bookshelf block. These new bookshelves allow you to place books on them, finally allowing players to store books easily.
Chiseled bookshelves are easy to make, requiring just six planks and three slabs of any wood type to create. Once one has been placed, it can hold up to six books at once. As books are added or removed, the chiseled bookshelf’s texture will change, adding a ton of realism to your survival base library.
That’s not the only thing chiseled bookshelves can do, though. They can also interact with redstone comparators to create secret doorways that only open once you take a specific book out of the chiseled bookshelf.
click to enlarge + 7The last block that is confirmed to be coming with Minecraft's 1.20 update is the hanging sign. This is a long-awaited new block which will finally let you hang messages beneath any block you choose.
Hanging signs are sure to become many players’ block of choice for street signs and overhead street decorations.
click to enlarge + 7New Default Skins
For years now, Minecraft has only had two default skins. Minecraft 1.20 is set to change that with the introduction of seven new default skins.
Gone are the days of choosing between just Alex and Steve. This is particularly big news for console and Pocket Edition players, who previously had to pay real money to use skins that weren’t Alex and Steve.
Just like Alex and Steve, each of the new default skins has their own name. Noor, Sunny, Ari, Zuri, Makena, Kai, and Efe make up the new lineup. The expansion of the default skin roster is set to add some much-needed representation to Minecraft’s cast of characters.
click to enlarge + 7When Will Minecraft 1.20 Be Released?
Mojang has not yet announced when Minecraft’s unnamed 1.20 update will be released. While nothing is set in stone, we can make a safe bet by looking at the release patterns for previous updates.
Mojang has kept a fairly regular update schedule in recent years, releasing one every six months or so. If this schedule is kept to, we’re due to receive the 1.20 update as early as December 2022.
Unfortunately, Mojang has announced far less about this update than they did about 1.19 before its release, leading many fans to speculate that the update won’t be finished for some time. With this in mind, it’s a safe bet to assume that Minecraft 1.20 will be released anywhere from December 2022 to February 2023.
That's everything we know so far about Minecraft's 1.20 update. For more on the future of Minecraft, check out our rundown of the news surrounding Minecraft Legends.