Minecraft’s update structure just saw its biggest change in years, with the framework of big annual updates being totally upended. Mojang’s most recent post on this subject sets up a new vision for the game’s development, and it’s a very promising evolution forMinecraft.
WithMinecrafthitting its 15th anniversarythis year, it’s no wonder that some big announcements have followed. In an effort to radically shift the game’s direction, Mojang has released an article detailing some development changes. In addition to Minecraft Live being split into two events and the retirement of the mob vote, Mojang will be switching to smaller updates in the vein of Armored Paws and 2019’s Buzzy Bees.
Smaller Minecraft Updates Are The Best Way Forward
It may be a surprise to hear aboutthis change toMinecraft’s updates, especially considering the popularity of drops like Village and Pillage, The Nether Update, and most recently, Tricky Trials. However, though some small updates have been derided, it’s proven to be a great way for community feedback to be incorporated. Moreover, a refined focus on only a handful of features leads to more complex, better-integrated changes and additions. This switch-up still needs to prove itself, but there’s a great deal of historical precedent for it being the right way to go.
Minecraft’s Big Annual Updates Have Faced Increased Criticism
Since 2017,Minecrafthas consistently received only one big update per year. While this hit off a big streak of success, slowly resurrecting the game until 2019’s Village and Pillage saw a true renaissance for the game, recent years have seen its decline. After Caves and Cliffs got split up over the years, and features like fireflies and birch forests never got off the ground, fans started to express disdain over the lack of features in the updates released after 2020. This came to a headwithMinecraft’s Trails and Tales, which left many fans unsatisfied.
Buzzy Bees And Armored Paws Are A Solid Blueprint
Buzzy Bees was an oddMinecraftupdatefor its time, a small bonus release that came at the tail end of 2019. It was also on the heels of Village and Pillage, the update that coincided with the game’s revival. Despite these factors, it proved to have a lasting impact thanks to two key factors. First of all, its small scope led to bees being an incredibly developed mob, one with a whole range of behaviors and attainable items. Furthermore, said scope also gave way to fast implementation of fan feedback; redstone builders argued that honey blocks shouldn’t stick to slime blocks, and Mojang followed suit. This led to an absolutely revolutionary block, one that changed redstone in a massive way.
The hypothesis formed by Buzzy Bees, that small updates allow for more complex features that can take on community feedback, was confirmed byMinecraft’s Armored Paws update. This update introduced the armadillo, wolf armor, and wolf variants — all of which resulted from (or were hugely impacted by) the community’s feedback. Fan reception led to the armadillo’s eyes being placed on the side of its head, wolf armor being made far stronger, and wolf variants being introduced. Thanks to the implementation of these suggestions, Armored Paws became hugely beloved by fans everywhere.
The only question left aboutMinecraft’s small update directionis how it will impact Mojang’s team. It’s hard to say which approach, a single big update or many small updates, is better for developers over a year, as the answer will be different for everyone working on the game. However, there’s a good chance that it will give developers more time per feature. It may lead to fewer features overall, but it’s likely each feature will be more fleshed out, and it’s definitely worth it if this ends up working better for developers.
