Minecraft: Moon and its effect on mob spawning explained

The moon is an important celestial body in Minecraft that has a host of purposes and real-time impact on your world. Despite seeming like a cosmetic feature, this satellite impacts and affects mobs and spawning activities in the world, similar to how the tides are dictated in real life by varying phases like the new moon or the full moon.

Here's all you need to know about the Minecraft moon and its effect on mob spawning.

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The moon affects the spawning and behavior of certain mobs in Minecraft

The moon in Minecraft has an impact on the spawning and behavior of certain mobs in the game. Ranging from the rate of spawning based on the moon's cycle to the variants of mobs produced, this celestial body holds some major powers when deciding the way of your world.

A full cycle of the moon's phases takes roughly two hours and forty minutes of gameplay, which results in different types and degrees of effects on the world. Here are the mobs affected by the moon and its varying cycles in Minecraft:

1) Slimes

The spawn rate of slimes is directly proportional to the phase of the moon (Image via Mojang Studios)

Slimes are perhaps the most affected by the varying cycles of the moon. The number of slimes that spawn in swamps is directly proportional to the moon's fullness — they spawn the most during a full moon and not at all during the new moon.

This is an important metric for players who wish to farm slime to create a host of items such as slime blocks, magma cream, leads, and more. However, it is essential to note that the cycle of the moon does not affect the spawning of these mobs in designated chunks at altitudes below y=40.

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2) Skeletons and Zombies

Skeletons and zombies get buffed during fuller moon cycles in Minecraft (Image via Mojang Studios)

Skeletons and zombies are some of the most popular and commonly occurring mobs in Minecraft so it comes as no surprise that the phases of the moon affect their behavior.

The fuller the moon, the higher the chances of skeletons and zombies having the ability to pick up items and spawn with weapons and armor. Additionally, there is a higher chance of them wielding enchanted weapons with significantly higher levels compared to other days.

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3) Spiders

Spiders are more potent during fuller moon cycles (Image via Mojang Studios)

Spiders are also impacted by the different phases of the moon. A fuller moon will grant spiders a higher spawn rate as well as an increased ability to spawn with status effects such as :

• Speed
• Strength
• Regeneration
• Invisibility

However, note that these status effects combine with the world's difficulty and a higher difficulty setting to significantly increase the chances of such mob buffs.

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4) Cats

Cats spawn a specific color during full moon cycles (Image via Mojang Studios)

Cats and the moon have a symbiotic relationship as old as time — partly due to their depiction in fiction and popular affiliation with witchcraft and the mystique arts.

So it comes as no surprise that Mojang decides to follow suit and spawn 50% of cats as black during a full moon, as opposed to other cycles when there's a mixed bag of colors.

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