Minecraft is a game that has been evolving over the course of more than a decade. As a result, the sandbox title’s history is rife with free content updates that have come in many shapes and sizes.
While some updates introduced gameplay changes and fixes, others changed the very fabric of how the game looked and functioned. Some of the most sweeping updates in Minecraft’s history remain wildly popular today. The community has often debated which updates are the best in the game, though each player has their own distinct opinion on the matter.
While there’s certainly no bonafide list of the best Minecraft updates in history, it doesn’t hurt to look at some of the biggest that changed the game forever.
Note: This list is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinion.
The most game-altering Minecraft updates of all time
5) 1.5, The Redstone Update
strident redstone engineer, the 1.5 update led to the creation of some of the most incredible machinery ever conceived inside a video game.
4) 1.14, Village & Pillage
One of the biggest upsides of Village & Pillage, which was launched on April 23, 2019, was that it made acquiring Totems of Undying repeatable, as players could initiate raids and farm them instead of clearing out woodland mansions like before.
3) 1.7.2, The Update That Changed the World
AMPLIFIED world type, which put the game’s terrain generation into overdrive.
The changes weren’t immediately noticeable for some players, but this update laid the groundwork for future updates that would expand on its initial work. The major update was released on October 25, 2013.
2) 1.16, The Nether Update
respawn anchors were also added, and update 1.16 introduced the presence of ancient debris. Players can use this material to craft Netherite tools to this day.
The update massively impacted the Nether, and countless players are thankful for it.
1) 1.17 + 1.18, The Caves & Cliffs Update
new generation methods, making mountains reach into the sky and caves become much more complex.
Mojang even upgraded existing worlds to accommodate these new features, changing nearly every aspect of the game from top to bottom.