After the release of Tricky Trials, Mojang shared a new plan for Minecraft updates. Because the Armored Paws update, which separated the Armadillo and Wolf Armor from 1.21 into a mini-update, was well-received, Mojang decided to focus on smaller updates. While the studio has often released small content alongside big updates, now each year will feature several smaller updates.
Minecraft next update may come sooner
Minecraft received four updates this year, though some were bigger than others. Minecraft The Garden Awakens update has made 2024 a huge year for the sandbox game. When Mojang first revealed this new update structure, many fans thought nothing major would happen until 2025, especially after Armored Paws and Tricky Trials. Nonetheless, the quick pace of updates in 2024 showed how fast they can be released, sparking plenty of speculation about what Mojang will do next.
Minecraft's new update schedule is accelerating. The recent updates, Bundles of Bravery and The Garden Awakens, were released just a month apart. Given this rapid pace, we can expect the next Minecraft update to arrive as early as February or March of 2025. While we may not see such short intervals between updates consistently, this trend suggests that we can look forward to more frequent content releases from Mojang.
Another reason fans might expect an update sooner rather than later is the size of the update. In Mojang's original announcement about the new update structure, they referred to 1.20.3 (a very minor patch that made small changes like altering bats and decorative pots) as a "first trial" for the new drop style. Despite being small, these changes were appreciated. If updates of this size are considered acceptable for the smaller drops, a quick, smaller update could likely arrive soon.
While the recent pace of Minecraft updates is exciting, it's important to maintain a balance. If Mojang continues releasing updates every other month, it could lead to oversaturation. To ensure the game's longevity and the development team's well-being, a more moderate release schedule, such as one update every quarter or even every six months, might be more sustainable. While the recent smaller updates have been well-received, it's crucial to strike a balance between frequent releases and quality content.
It's also important to consider how some of Minecraft's 2024 content was released. For example, Bundles of Bravery was somewhat of an outlier. The Bundles feature and Hardcore mode for Bedrock had been in development for years, making that update more about tying up loose ends. Future updates, like The Garden Awakens, will be starting with a cleaner slate, so the quick gap between the first two mini-updates might not be as realistic for Mojang's plans. As a result, late March or early April still seem like reasonable timeframes for expecting the next update.
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