New Minecraft snapshot 25w05a introduces cow variants and firefly bush

The latest Minecraft snapshot 25w05a introduces a host of features, ranging from new cow variants to the firefly bush and more. This experimental build allows players to test new features and changes ahead of their official release as part of the upcoming game drop. As with any update, it also introduces an array of bug fixes that go towards improving the gameplay experience.

Here's all you need to know about the Minecraft snapshot 25w05a and the features and changes it brings.

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Minecraft snapshot 25w05a introduces cow variants and the firefly bush

The latest Minecraft snapshot 25w05a introduces the much-awaited variants of the cow that were teased recently in a series of social media posts. These new variants follow in the footsteps of the recently added pig variants, meaning we now get to see warm and cold cows in the game. These new styles for the cow can be found in warm and cold biomes respectively, adding a much-needed facelift to one of the oldest mobs in the game.

Apart from the expansion of the in-game bovine family, the update also brings the firefly mob but in a unique way — the snapshot added the firefly bush, a new kind of bush that spawns a host of fireflies around. The firefly was a proposed mob in Minecraft Live 2021, but the idea was scrapped due to some species of the creature being poisonous to frogs.

However, this update might finally satisfy fans of the glowing bug in a certain way. The firefly bush emits a light level of two and can be bonemealed to increase its quantity. Additionally, it can also be used as a compost material, similar to the leaf litter that was introduced recently.

Apart from these new features, the Minecraft snapshot 25w05a also added new ambient sounds for the desert and badlands biomes, adding to the title's immersiveness and massively improving the gameplay experience. The sand, red sand, and terracotta of any color have a chance of playing ambient sounds. There is also a unique wind sound that plays exclusively in deserts or badlands.

Minecraft snapshot 25w05a also made a few changes to the gameplay features. The look of the temperate cow has been modified to give it an extruded snout. On the other hand, landing on powdered snow from a height greater than 2.5 blocks while wearing leather boots will now make entities fall through the snow.

However, one of the most significant quality-of-life changes has been introduced to beacons (an extremely important item in Minecraft). As of the Minecraft snapshot 25w05a, beacons and their beams now render beyond 16 chunks up to the client render distance. This allows it to be easily visible across large distances and its new render distance of 2048 blocks high makes it easier to spot.

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