The major Minecraft 1.21 update now has a name, but it's a bit smaller than we expected

Zachary Boddy
·3 min read
Image of Minecraft 1.21's Trial Spawners.
Image of Minecraft 1.21's Trial Spawners.

What you need to know

  • Mojang Studios has been working on the Minecraft 1.21 content update since late last year, and it seems to be in the final stages of development.

  • On Friday, during Minecraft Monthly, the Mojang team finally revealed the official name for the update.

  • Known as the "Tricky Trials Update," Minecraft 1.21 focuses on adventure with new Trial Chambers, Ominous Trials, a new weapon, and more.

  • There are lots of other smaller features and additions to, but some of the update's most exciting features are actually already available through the 1.20.5 "Armored Paws Update."

It feels like it has been ages (over six months, to be precise) since Mojang Studios first revealed the major Minecraft 1.21 content update, and it seems we're finally entering the endgame of development. Mojang typically leaves naming an update until near its release, nowadays, and today's the day we learn what to call Minecraft 1.21. Focusing on adventures and challenge, this is the Minecraft 'Tricky Trials' update, and it's coming later this year.

You can check out the latest episode of Minecraft Monthly for a quick rundown of the update's exciting new features, but it's worth mentioning that the Tricky Trials Update is actually smaller than we expected. That's because Mojang already released several features in the 1.20.5/1.20.80 "Armored Paws" update, including new Wolf variants, protective wolf armor, and Armadillos! You can go enjoy those new features right now, and they're pretty great.

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So, what will the Tricky Trials Update bring to Minecraft? You can check out our comprehensive Minecraft 1.21 'Tricky Trials' FAQ for all the details, but I'll give you the summary. This update focuses on adventures, which means adding challenging and maze-like Trial Chambers to the Overworld, added the new poisonous Bogged Skeleton hostile mob, letting you smash enemies with the new Mace weapon, and letting hardcore players discover even greater challenge with new Ominous Trials.

There are also new pottery sherds, paintings, banner designs, armor trims, soundtrack music (now available on Spotify), and music discs. It's not the biggest update Minecraft has ever seen, but there's a healthy collection of new features and content for players to explore. One thing we did not learn today, however, is when Mojang Studios will actually release the Minecraft Tricky Trials Update.

Players can already test out most of these features through the latest Minecraft Preview or Minecraft: Java Edition snapshot builds, but most players will seemingly have to wait a little more. Hopefully, it won't be too much longer now that Minecraft 1.21 has a name. If you want to read more about one of the best Xbox games, you can check out how XREAL's AR glasses turned my partner into a Minecraft addict.

Are you excited for Minecraft's Tricky Trials Update? Let me know in the comments!