Old fireflies vs new firefly bush in Minecraft: What has changed?

Minecraft fans have been requesting Mojang to add fireflies to the game for quite some time now. Mojang almost added it at one point before backing off. Interestingly, many believed that Mojang backed off from adding fireflies to the game since frogs can die from consuming them in real life. However, some questioned by Mojang couldn't just program the frogs not to eat fireflies instead of canceling the mob altogether.

In reality, fireflies were removed for being a performance nightmare, which was not outweighed enough by their positive benefits for ambiance. The Minecraft team remained silent about this mob for a long time before finally making it a part of the game as the firefly bush.

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The original fireflies in Minecraft

The firefly was a proposed mob that would glow in the dark and be eaten by frogs. It was featured in Minecraft Live 2021. Fireflies were two pixels in size, with a single-pixel firefly particle implemented inside, which would have made them the smallest mob in the game.

Fireflies were originally going to be the mob that frogs would eat to produce froglights, but they were later replaced by magma cubes in this role. The idea of frogs eating fireflies was scrapped because some species of fireflies are poisonous to certain frog species in real life.

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New firefly bush

At night they glow with new particle lights (Image via Mojang Studios)

The firefly bush is the latest way in which Mojang has incorporated fireflies into the game. It acts as an ambient light source in swamps and near rivers. While fireflies as a mob never made it into Minecraft, this glowing plant emits light (level 2) and releases firefly particles at night to create a magical effect.

Unlike fireflies, the firefly bush does not impact performance significantly and serves as a decorative vegetation rather than a mob. Players can also use bone meal on a firefly bush to grow more of them, adding to the immersive feel of swamp biomes.

While fireflies were once envisioned as interactive mobs, the firefly bush brings back the glowing atmosphere Minecraft players wanted, without the drawbacks that led to fireflies being removed. It may not be the original idea, but it’s a clever compromise to keep the game running smoothly while also improving the ambiance of specific biomes.

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What else is being added in the next update?

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

The next game drop is adding a lot to the game apart from the firefly bush. Mojang will be introducing two new variants for classic mobs like cows and pigs. They are also introducing a lot of vegetation.

Overall, the update is focused on new ambient features. Mojang is adding falling leaves, leaf litter, and ambient sounds to improve the ambiance. This update will shake up the Overworld and make it much more immersive.