Minecraft 1.20.4 update for Java Edition: All you need to know

Minecraft fans were quite surprised when the first release candidate for Java Edition 1.20.4 made its way to the game on December 6, 2023, but many assumed that the full 1.20.4 update would be released later on. This doesn't appear to be the case, as Mojang has announced the 1.20.4 update and its implementation on December 7, 2023.

Due to the presence of a bug that caused decorated pot blocks to delete items stored within them, it appears Mojang felt a bit of urgency in issuing a full, stable update to amend the problem. However, aside from fixing the decorated pot bug, players shouldn't expect any other changes in this particular release.

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Examining why Minecraft Java Edition 1.20.4 was released so quickly

The decorated pot glitch likely caused the 1.20.4 update to debut ahead of schedule (Image via Mojang)

While not every major Minecraft Java update has to be heavily impactful or arrive at a certain time, it's hard to dispute that the decorated pot bug likely kicked Mojang into gear to release the 1.20.4 update ahead of its expected timeline. This is indicated in part by the release of the update's first release candidate a day after the 1.20.3 update made its debut.

It's understandable as to why this is the case. Several players had been reporting a major issue with the reworked decorated pot blocks, which gained the ability to have items and blocks stored within them. Fans had left feedback for Mojang, stating that when re-loading their world and breaking the pots, they wouldn't be able to retrieve all of the items placed within them.

Over the next two days, Mojang pushed to incorporate the first and only release candidate for Minecraft 1.20.4 and its full release. Aside from fixing the decorated pot bug, no other implementations or changes were made, but this isn't necessarily bad considering the urgency of the situation.

Moreover, while the release candidate was helpful, many Minecraft players don't play experimental snapshots. So, adding the decorated pot fix to a stable build of the game was necessary to ensure as many players as possible could avoid the bug. Waiting for a snapshot wouldn't have accomplished this goal on its own.

Although Java Edition 1.20.4 is admittedly light on changes, there's still plenty of development time for Mojang to add more tweaks and fixes in the months ahead. Many are undoubtedly looking forward to the full debut of the 1.21 update, which was announced at Minecraft Live 2023. However, the as-of-yet-unnamed update likely won't be released until sometime in June or July of 2024.

Nonetheless, fans are encouraged to dive into the 1.20.4 update through the use of the game's official launcher. It may only fix one bug, but if players want to use the new and improved decorated pots to their full potential, installing this Minecraft: Java Edition release is the way to do so.