Raft in Minecraft 1.20: Everything we know about the new boat

During Minecraft 1.20's reveal trailer, players saw more than a few new features that are set to arrive in the game sometime next year. Among them were bamboo blocks, which can be fashioned into many new creations, including rafts.

A new type of water-based transportation, rafts are similar to boats in most aspects. However, their construction appears to be different from standard boats. They also have different appearances.

Unfortunately, there hasn't been much information circulating about rafts, including how quickly they move or how durable they are.

What is currently known about rafts is quite scant. Hopefully, Mojang or Minecraft's datamining community will elaborate more on these creations as the update draws closer. Be that as it may, it isn't a bad idea to take into account what we do know about rafts so far.

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What players know about Minecraft rafts comes from 1.20 debut trailer

Alex and Steve take their rafts out on their water (Image via Mojang)

The Minecraft 1.20 debut trailer is the primary source of information about rafts right now. It shows default characters Alex and Steve riding rafts through the water after leaving their bamboo block shelter. Alex's raft appears to have an attached storage chest.

From the Minecraft Live trailer, what is known for certain is that rafts will operate very similarly to boats. However, they appear to be constructed purely from bamboo planks, meaning there may be no option to create bamboo boats.

Like boats as of The Wild Update, rafts can carry a storage chest on the back for adventurers to place items, gear, and extra blocks.

Much like boats, rafts will operate using a system of oars pushing through the water. It's currently unclear as to how quickly rafts will move through the water and whether they'll be faster or slower than boats or if they'll retain the same speed.

There's also a matter of durability to consider. It isn't yet clear as to whether rafts can take as much damage as boats before they are broken and dropped as an item.

If rafts are indeed only made from bamboo, they present themselves as an interesting alternative to boats in Minecraft. If a player begins in a jungle biome, they will now have two water transit options by being able to create a boat from jungle wood or a raft from nearby bamboo.

Considering bamboo wasn't much used as a crop before 1.20, the addition of bamboo wood and rafts certainly improves its versatility.

Hopefully, Mojang will be willing to detail additional information as Minecraft update 1.20 approaches in 2023. Players certainly have no lack of questions about rafts as well as many other features in the as-of-yet unnamed content release.

Though the community can certainly sleuth through game files and learn a few things, hearing details from the mouth of the developer is a different story entirely. It would be a great plus if rafts turn out to be somewhat different from boats once they're added to the game.

The community will simply have to wait and see what Mojang has to say on the subject, ideally in the coming weeks.