Minecraft announces new game drop update for 2025

Minecraft has announced the first game drop of 2025, introducing six new features to expand the game and make it more immersive. These are all already live in Java snapshots and four of these are live in Bedrock beta and preview versions.

This game drop might be a small update but it is packed with features that Minecraft fans have wanted for years. From adorable new pig variants to simpler crafting methods and stunning ambient updates, players have plenty to look forward to. Let’s get a more detailed look at this update.

---

New pig variants

More variants of existing mobs are always welcome (Image via Mojang Studios)

Minecraft is expanding its roster of animal variants, and pigs are finally getting some love. Two new pig variants, the cold pig and the warm pig, are being added to the game. The former is adapted to chilly climates, sporting a coat of fluffy fur to help it thrive in sub-zero temperatures. They can be found in colder biomes.

On the other hand, the warm pig is a rust-brown variant that calls the warmer biomes its home. You’ll find them roaming the sandy dunes, bringing some more life to arid environments. After wolf variants, it’s exciting to see pigs getting a similar treatment.

---

Easier lodestone crafting

Simpler crafting recipes are good (Image via Mojang Studios)

Crafting a lodestone is about to become much simpler. Previously, crafting this block required netherite, making it a rare and challenging item to obtain. With the new update, players will only need iron ingots and chiseled bricks to craft it.

Lodestones are incredibly useful for altering compasses to point toward them, making navigation easier across all three dimensions. When you use a compass on a lodestone, it gains an enchantment glint, indicating its new functionality.

If the lodestone is broken or exists in a different dimension, the compass will spin randomly, as it normally does in the Nether and the End.

---

Ambient updates for Minecraft

Ambiance could improve the game so much (Image via Mojang Studios)

One of the most requested features by the Minecraft community has finally arrived. These ambient updates could bring more life to the game’s natural environments. Players can now enjoy the sight of leaves falling from trees across the Overworld. Leaf litter can now accumulate on the ground, creating a more immersive environment. This also makes a satisfying crunching sound when walked on.

Meadows, birch forests, and old-growth birch forests are now home to yellow and white wildflowers. These can be crafted into dyes, adding more options to obtain these hues. They have four growth stages, which can be sped up using bonemeal. Players can place them at different angles to create diverse and vibrant patterns.

All ambient features are already out in the Java snapshot. Bedrock players can test falling leaf particles in the preview and beta versions, with leaf litter and wildflowers coming soon.