Fact Check: Can Minecraft 1.19 update be downloaded for free from official launcher?

After many months of high anticipation, the Minecraft 1.19 update has finally arrived. The update was estimated to come around 1.00 PM EST, but it was released a bit earlier than that.

There are several different ways to access the update, depending upon the platform. Android and iOS users will get it through their device's store. Nintendo Switch users will be able to update the game before being able to open the app. Xbox and PlayStation users will have to visit their downloads section first, if auto-updates are disabled.

On PC, updates are secured through the Minecraft launcher, which is very different from other platforms. Can the update be acquired for free in that launcher? Here's the answer.

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Minecraft: Can the 1.19 update be downloaded for free in the launcher?

The answer is both yes and no. Minecraft players cannot get the update for free without having purchased the game. The game usually costs about $30 USD and without paying that, it cannot be played.

There's no workaround to get the game for free. Pocket Edition on mobile devices is a lot cheaper. It usually sells for less than $10 USD, but even that is not free. That is the cheapest alternative, but it doesn't get any lower than that.

The answer is also yes because this update specifically does not cost anything. Minecraft players have to initially make a one-time payment to buy the game, and on PC, that includes the launcher. Post the purchase, players will get every update at no extra cost.

Every update since the very beginning has been free for gamers who own the game and 1.19 is no different. There should be no cost applied to downloading the update. If there is, there's an issue with the game or players didn't actually purchase it beforehand.

The update was just released, which means that gamers who own the game have free and unadulterated access to everything The Wild Update offers.

Now that it's live, crafters can get knee deep in mud in the Mangrove Swamp biome. They can also check out the new trees, frogs and other cool things in that biome.

Allay, which dominated the Mob Vote at the end of 2021, will also be there for players to free from their cages. They'll spawn at Pillager Outposts.

Underground, the world is changing, too. The Deep Dark is a new cave biome that will be home to perhaps the most fearsome mob to ever appear in the game so far.

The Warden will spawn there thanks to the new Sculk blocks. It will be triggered by sound and movement, so it's very dangerous. However, the Deep Dark can spawn Ancient Cities, which are said to have the best loot of any structure in the game.

A still of an Ancient City (Image via Stardust Labs)

Among that loot will be Echo Shards. They will have one use: as a crafting ingredient for recovery compasses, which will point users to the place of their last death.