Tech

The biggest ever update to 'Minecraft' just launched — here's what in it

Ben Gilbert

2015-12-18T18:03:00Z

Though "Minecraft" is already enormously popular the world over, beloved by millions who play it regularly, it's a game in a state of perpetual development.

This has always been the case with "Minecraft," which originally launched as a playable "Alpha": a game that's playable, but far from finished.

And on Friday, "Minecraft" is getting its biggest ever update! But what's in that update, other than the adorable little bunny you see above? Let's find out!

The most noticeable addition to "Minecraft" is entirely new types of terrain.

Like this Redwood forest:

And this area, called the "Mesa":

And this area, which, uh, looks like some very grassy plains:

And this area, which is like a slightly less snowy snow area? Or something?

There's kind of a lot!

And that's just geographic regions. How about new potions?

This one lets these two guys leap into the depth of the ocean. It's called the "potion of water breathing."

Once underwater, there are new areas to explore. They're called "Ocean Monuments":

These are basically underwater castles, and they house something called "Elder Guardians." What?!

In slightly less intense additions, there's a wealth of new flora:

Just look at all this!

And there are dozens of smaller additions and changes, all of which you can find below:

New items for all modes:

Armour Stand, Raw Rabbit, Cooked Rabbit, Rabbit Stew, Raw Mutton, Cooked Mutton, Rabbit’s Foot, Rabbit Hide, Potion of Leaping, Potion of Water Breathing, Salmon, Cooked Salmon, Clownfish, Pufferfish, Blue Orchid, Allium, Azure Bluet, Tulips, Oxeye Daisy, Sunflower, Lilac, Poppy (replaces Rose), Rose Bush, Peony, Double Tall Grass, Large Ferns, Prismarine Crystals, and Prismarine Shard have all been added!

New items for Creative Mode:

Rabbit Spawn Egg, Endermite Spawn Egg, and Guardian Spawn Egg can now be used in Creative Mode.

New blocks:

Podzol, Granite, Polished Granite, Andesite, Polished Andesite, Diorite, Polished Diorite, Prismarine, Dark Prismarine, Prismarine Bricks, Red Sand, Red Sandstone, Smooth Red Sandstone, Chiseled Red Sandstone, Red Sandstone Stairs, Sea Lanterns, Wet Sponge, Slime Blocks, Coarse Dirt, Packed Ice, Acacia Saplings, and Dark Oak Saplings are now available in-game.

New mobs:

Endermite, Guardian, Elder Guardian, Rabbit, and Chicken Jockey now roam the lands!

New biomes:

Mesa, Mega Taiga, Roofed Forest, Birch Forest, Forest, Savanna, Extreme Hills+, Deep Ocean, and Snowless Taiga are all available for exploration.

There's even more being tweaked/fixed, which <a href="https://mojang.com/2015/12/minecraft-for-playstation-and-xbox-just-got-a-humongous-update/">you can see on the developer's site</a>.

Here's the full trailer for the biggest "Minecraft" addition yet, available on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 today!

Gaming Microsoft Xbox One

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