What will be added in the Minecraft 1.21 update?

Minecraft Live 2023 gave fans their first taste of the upcoming 1.21 update, and while not every detail has been revealed, there's already plenty to get excited about. New blocks, new structures, and a few new in-game mobs will be making their way to both Java and Bedrock Edition. Moreover, Mojang may very well add even more features as the day of the update's rollout approaches.

Most of what is known about Minecraft 1.21 comes from the Live 2023 trailer and the most recent spate of Java snapshots and Bedrock previews. Nonetheless, there's quite a bit of ground to cover already.

This article will cover the confirmed additions for the Minecraft 1.21 update.

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Upcoming additions in the Minecraft 1.21 update

Copper, tuff, crafter, and trial spawner blocks

The crafter block presents fans with the ability to automatically craft blocks and items (Image via Mojang)

No Minecraft update would be complete without some new blocks to work with. 1.21 introduces a collection of new variants for copper and tuff blocks, but the real draw comes in the form of blocks like the crafter and the trial spawner. The crafter possesses the ability to automatically craft items/blocks with the right materials and crafting recipes in place.

Meanwhile, the trial spawner is a new variation of a traditional spawner block that is generated within the trial chamber structure. It has the capability to generate various amounts of enemy mobs depending on how many players are currently exploring a trial chamber.

The trial spawner reacts based on how many players are exploring a trial chamber (Image via Mojang)

As of late 2023, the following blocks have been confirmed for Minecraft 1.21:

• New Copper Block Variants - This includes chiseled copper blocks, copper grates, copper doors/trapdoors, and the copper bulb light source block. Like other copper blocks, these new additions will oxidize and change from orange to teal in coloration when exposed to the open air. This can be addressed by using an axe to remove the oxidation or waxing the blocks by combining them with honeycombs.
• New Tuff Block Variants - Includes tuff slabs, walls, stairs, and bricks, as well as chiseled tuff and polished tuff.
• Crafter - An automated crafting table. When it receives a redstone pulse, it will craft a single item or block based on the materials stored within it and the crafting recipe outlined by the player when the crafter is interacted with.
• Trial Spawner - A naturally generating block in trial chamber structures. Can generate strays, slimes, and the new breeze mob. Spawns mobs based on the number of nearby players and rewards fans with various items like emeralds or diamonds when they defeat its mobs. This block is also incredibly sturdy, akin to reinforced deepslate, and is immune to explosion damage.

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New mobs - the armadillo and the breeze

Armadillos won the Minecraft Mob Vote in October 2023 (Image via Mojang)

Currently, two mobs have been confirmed to be arriving in Minecraft's 1.21 update: armadillos and the breeze. The former are the winners of the yearly Mob Vote event and reside in savanna biomes. They curl up in defense when players approach them, but they can also drop scute items similar to turtles. This new armadillo scute can be used to craft armor for wolves.

Meanwhile, the breeze is a hostile mob that is confirmed to appear in trial chambers, spawning from trial spawner blocks. They have the ability to levitate and harness the power of the wind. Breezes can fire wind projectiles that knock players back and activate redstone-compatible blocks like buttons, levers, and trapdoors.

Players battle a breeze within a trial chamber in Minecraft 1.21's trailer (Image via Mojang)

When breezes fire their wind charges in Minecraft, you won't take damage from the attack unless it directly makes contact with you. Otherwise, you will only be knocked back by the explosion and take fall damage depending on how high you are launched by the projectile. Regardless, breezes should be a tricky opponent to battle.

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New structure - trial chambers

Trial chambers can be found underground with different layouts (Image via Mojang)

Generating underground in the Overworld dimension, trial chambers are a fairly unique structure in Minecraft as they are procedurally generated, so they will present a new challenge each time they are encountered, according to Mojang. Composed of many of the new copper and tuff blocks, trial chambers also contain trial spawners and the new breeze mob.

The central location of trial chambers is known as the corridor, and rooms connected to it can contain traps and loot chests. Trial spawners will generate hostile mobs based on how many players are nearby in the structure, and rewards will be distributed at different amounts based on the number of players who helped destroy the mobs.

Trial chambers can possess multiple floors in Minecraft 1.21 (Image via Mojang)

Other than these facts, not much is known about Minecraft 1.21's trial chambers, though you should know that these structures are composed of multiple floors, so thorough searching to collect all of their loot may be required. Moreover, while the loot tables haven't been confirmed for the structure's loot chests, rewards like emeralds and diamonds have been seen appearing from trial spawners.

As the Minecraft 1.21 update comes into focus, Mojang will likely divulge additional details surrounding these new and curious structures.

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New items - armadillo scute and wolf armor

Armadillo scute can be used to craft wolf armor in Minecraft 1.21 (Image via @Gaspoweredpick/X)

At the moment, the only confirmed item additions in Minecraft 1.21 pertain to armadillos and wolves. This is likely to change as the release date approaches, but the two items that have been determined thus far are armadillo scute and wolf armor. Players will likely be able to obtain armadillo scute by maturing baby armadillos into adults.

By using armadillo scute in an as-of-yet undetermined crafting recipe, you can create wolf armor that can be equipped on wolves. The armor is capable of reducing incoming damage from hostile mobs but may not protect wolves from environmental hazards like lava or fall damage. However, this has yet to be elaborated on by Mojang.