Minecraft 26.3 pre-release 1 is now live for Java Edition, giving Mojang another testing build for bug fixes and final polish before the update’s full release. The Dappled Forest remains the center of the update, but this build also includes new building materials, Abandoned Camps, Realms invite codes, and a much higher render-distance limit.
The Dappled Forest brings new seasonal materials
Found near cold biomes, the Dappled Forest has an autumnal look built around Poplar Trees. Their leaves come in red, yellow, and orange variants, while the saplings can randomly choose a leaf color when they grow.
Red Shrubs keep their color when moved back to a base and can be spread with bone meal. Shelf Mushrooms grow on Poplar Trees, including fallen ones, and have a bounce similar to a bed. They can also be used in stews like regular mushrooms.
Builders get more options outside the forest as well. Concrete Stairs, Concrete Slabs, Wool Stairs, and Wool Slabs can all be crafted in the 16 standard colors. Placing three Wool Slabs in a row creates a Cushion, which lets players sit down. Poplar Boats join the new wood set, while Hay Bales can become Straw Beds that provide one use for sleeping without changing a player’s spawn point.
Abandoned Camps point toward useful discoveries
Abandoned Camps can appear in a wide range of biomes and change their appearance to fit the surrounding area. Barrels and chests near each camp may contain basic items, tools, materials, and Explorer Maps.
Those maps can lead to other Abandoned Camps in different biomes or point players toward Ancient Cities, Mineshafts, Desert Pyramids, and Warm Ocean Ruins. That gives the new structures a purpose beyond decoration and adds another way to find older points of interest.
Java testing adds Realms codes and longer render distances
The Minecraft 26.3 pre-release 1 build can be selected through the Minecraft launcher. Mojang also notes that the latest Java testing build introduces invite codes for Realms and raises the previous render-distance maximum from 12 chunks to 25. The higher setting can put more strain on a player’s hardware, so it is worth checking performance before pushing the limit.
If you try the pre-release, tell us what you think about the Dappled Forest and its new building options in the comments. For more coverage, follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Minecraft
Developed by Mojang Studios
Minecraft focuses on allowing the player to explore, interact with, and modify a dynamically-generated map made of one-cubic-meter-sized blocks. In addition to blocks, the environment features plants, mobs, and items. Some activities in the game include mining for ore, fighting hostile mobs, and crafting new blocks and tools by gathering various resources found in the game. The game's open-ended model allows players to create structures, creations, and artwork on various multiplayer servers or their single-player maps. Other features include redstone circuits for logic computations and remote actions, minecarts and tracks, and a mysterious underworld called the Nether. A designated but completely optional goal of the game is to travel to a dimension called the End, and defeat the ender dragon.
- Genre Simulator, Adventure, Arcade
- Platforms Amazon Fire TV, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Linux, Nintendo Switch 2, Gear VR, Windows Phone, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Perspective First person, Third person, Virtual Reality
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Split screen, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release December 19, 2016
- Publisher Mojang Studios
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