Summary
A new snapshot version is now available forMinecraftJava Edition players, with the update introducing a slight tweak to splash potion mechanics alongside changes to the crafting recipes for dried ghast blocks and the recently overhauled leads. Some of the most recent experimental versions ofMinecrafthave given fans a preview of the new happy ghast mob that was revealed earlier this year during Minecraft LIVE.
As the name suggests, happy ghasts are friendly variants of the iconic floating mobs that patrol the Nether. They’re set to officially come to the game in the Summer content drop later in June and will be something of an unprecedented mob in that players will be able to stand on them and use them as solid mobile platforms - a useful function for survival mode players working on huge builds. To befriend a happy ghast, players will first need to acquire adried ghast block inMinecraftand bring it back to the Overworld. There, it can be submerged in water, after which it will eventually hydrate and become a baby ghastling. These adorable mobs can be fed snowballs until they grow up into happy ghasts, which players can then equip with a saddle and fly on through the skies of their worlds.
Dried ghast blocks can be found naturally, albeit uncommonly, in the Nether’s soul sand valley biomes, though interestingly, they can also be crafted. The latest snapshot 25w18a for Java Edition updates the recipe for this unusual block, which now requires a soul sand block and several ghast tears. The block was previously crafted using a bone block and ghast tears instead, though with soul sand being just as, if not easier to obtain than a bone block once in the Nether, it seems likely that this small change was made to benefitMinecraft’s vague but undeniably present loremore than anything else.
The snapshot also makes it much easier for players to craft leads by updating the item’s recipe, which no longer requires a slime ball, instead just an additional piece of string in its place.Minecraft’s leashing mechanics were recently overhauledin an earlier experimental preview version, allowing mobs to be leashed to each other, as well as to boats.
The other major change made in the latest snapshot version focuses onMinecraft’s splash potionmechanics, with a small adjustment being made to the distance calculation used when a mob is affected by a splash potion. Further, splash potion effect strength is now based on the distance between the impact site and mob hitbox. This means that mobs will receive the full effect of a splash potion if they’re hit by it directly, and a group of mobs equidistant from the impact site will receive the same effect strength as each other.
Minecraft
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
