5 best changes in Minecraft snapshot 25w02a

Minecraft snapshot 25w02a is out now, adding new items like falling leaves and pig variants. Apart from these new features, this experimental build introduces changes to existing gameplay mechanics. This is the first version for 2025 and adds modifications that affect aspects such as biomes and blocks.

Here are some of the best changes in the Minecraft snapshot 25w02a.

Note: This list is solely based on the writer's opinions and is in no particular order.

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What are the best changes in Minecraft snapshot 25w02a?

1) New Lodestone recipe

Lodestone received a significantly simpler crafting recipe as part of the Minecraft snapshot 25w02a (Image via Mojang Studios)

A highlight of the Minecraft snapshot 25w02a is the introduction of the new recipe for the lodestone, an important functional block that can make compasses point toward it. Before the update, players needed to craft a netherite ingot, which required ancient debris, a block located in the nether that is notoriously difficult to find.

However, the Minecraft snapshot 25w02a introduces a simpler recipe for the lodestone. Players can now also craft the block using eight chiseled stone bricks and one iron ingot, making it significantly easier to craft. Additionally, it can be found as loot at ruined portals in the overworld or the Nether.

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2) Pale Garden gets a facelift

The Pale Garden biome received many changes to its spawn and structures (Image via Mojang Studios)

Minecraft snapshot 25w02a introduces a host of changes for the Pale Garden, the latest biome added in The Garden Awakens update last year. As part of the changes, the biome now occupies more space than was previously taken by the Dark Forest, making it easier to spot the biome as well as offer a better spread of the flora.

Additionally, woodland mansions can now be generated in the Pale Garden biome, resolving the absence of any structures in the eerie arena. Apart from this, the Pale oak leaves and Pale oak saplings have an updated map color to improve the gameplay experience.

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3) Creaking behavior changes

The snapshot made a major overhaul in the behavior of the newly introduced creaking mob (Image via Mojang Studios)

Minecraft snapshot 25w02a also makes a host of modifications to the behavior of the creaking, the latest hostile mob added as part of last year's The Garden Awakens game drop. Players can now name these mobs using name tags and all named mobs will persist through the day.

Despite being named, it can still be eliminated if it is attacked by the player or it is too far from the heart. Additionally, named creakings are still resistant to all damage and can communicate with their creaking hearts via the orange particle trails.

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4) Creaking heart and eyeblossom behavior changes

The creaking heart and the eyeblossom received changes as part of the Minecraft snapshot 25w02a (Image via Mojang Studios)

As part of the changes in the Minecraft snapshot 25w02a, the creaking hearts placed correctly between pale oak logs will now display a new texture when it is dormant during the day. Additionally, format creaking hearts cannot spawn new creakings and resin, hindering resin farms that exploited this behavior.

The snapshot also modifies the transition between the awake and dormant states for the creaking hearts and the eyeblossom — now they rely on the fixed daytime. Additionally, all of these behaviors are no longer affected by weather or dimension brightness.

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5) Changes to blocks and mobs

The Minecraft snapshot 25w02a introduced a host of changes to existing gameplay mechanics (Image via Mojang Studios)

As is common with updates, snapshot 25w02a introduces many modifications to existing gameplay mechanics for mobs, blocks, and more. It added new break, place, step, fall, and hit sounds for the iron blocks, bars, trapdoors, and more. As for mobs, players will now need to eliminate a zombified piglin to obtain the player-specific loot.

As for other gameplay changes, the update now allows farm animals to spawn in the badlands as well as generate sparser short grass in the meadow biome. Additionally, chunks loaded by a portal will now be reloaded again automatically when the world is opened again.

Minecraft snapshot 25w02a also addresses issues relating to Minecraft Realms. Uploading a world to Realms will now enable the command block by default. Additionally, players can now upload their Hardcore single-player world, ensuring it stays safe even if their local world files get corrupted by Herobrine.

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