Minecraft 1.20 update release date and features

Eager for the Minecraft 1.20 update release date? So are we. The next major content update was announced during Minecraft Live on October 15, 2022, and has now been given its official name: Trails and Tales, with the update focused on the Minecraft community and their stories. Ahead of the Trails and Tales update release date, Mojang Studios has now revealed all of the new and exciting features we can expect to see – and we’ve even been given hands-on access to all the new stuff in recent snapshots.

Minecraft remains one of the best PC games of the last decade, and keeps fans coming back with these annual updates. Based around the community, representation, and creativity, we know the next one will include new Minecraft skins as well as a new way to customise your fit with Minecraft armor trims. There’s a new mob in the form of the Minecraft camel – as well as mob vote winner the Sniffer – and, yes, long since forgotten about, Minecraft archeology is happening. Here’s everything coming when the Minecraft 1.20 Trails and Tales release date rides in.

Minecraft 1.20 update release date

The Minecraft 1.20 update releases on Wednesday, June 7 2023. Developer Mojang confirmed the Trails and Tales update’s launch timing following the release of version 1.20 pre-release 1.

This matches our previous speculation of a summer release date based on previous content rollouts. The last four major updates, with the exception of 1.19, have all been released in the June of the year following their announcement. 1.19 was an exception as it was not a proper, scheduled update as such, and was instead the second part of the Caves and Cliffs update. With all of the new content now revealed and nearly ready to go, a June release date makes perfect sense.

Minecraft 1.20 Trails and Tales features

New cherry blossom biome

This is the big one, the final reveal of the massive Trails and Tales update, the new Cherry Blossom biome. This new biome has been long-requested by the game’s fans, demonstrated by Sakura trees appearing in many of the most popular Minecraft mods, and also brings a new wood type, which always goes own well. Plus, that’s not one but two new wood sets coming in 1.20, including new bamboo wood (read on for more). This pretty biome doesn’t feature any new mobs (yet), but is home to sheep, pigs, and bees, and while we’re not sure if it’s a new grass block – but we really hope it is – you can see from the image above that the ground is even covered in pretty pink Sakura petals.

Archeology

That’s right, archeology is coming. The feature was first announced during Minecraft Live 2020, as part of the Caves and Cliffs update, and was later scrapped – or so we thought. In a surprise announcement on February 10, 2023, Mojang Studios revealed that they were still working on Minecraft archeology, and that it will be part of the 1.20 update. To begin with, archeological dig sites will be limited to the area around desert temples, but is set to be expanded. So if you find yourself at one of the rare desert structures, start digging, keeping an eye out for the new suspicious sand block – which holds mysterious ancient secrets.

Bamboo blocks and rafts

Of course a new Minecraft update has to come with new blocks – after all, blocks are quite literally what make the sandbox game what it is. For the Minecraft Trails and Tales update, those new blocks are bamboo, fitting somewhere between the wood block family, and bamboo itself.

This new block is great for a number of reasons. Firstly, it adds another use to the fast-growing bamboo plant, which before now was only used for feeding pandas and building scaffolding. The bamboo block can be crafted into most of the same items as wood, such as stairs, doors, slabs, and fences, and even comes with its own unique bamboo mosaic variant. However, the one item you can’t make with bamboo is a boat. Technically. The new raft replaces the boat when crafted with bamboo and functions in exactly the same way, it just looks that little bit cooler sailing away from your desert island or jungle-themed base.

Camels

We already knew a new mob was coming to Minecraft soon, with the annual mob vote returning for another year. However, it has been confirmed that the winner, the sniffer, will join another new creature, the camel, in a future update.

Adding to the ever-growing roster of Minecraft mobs, the camel not only adds something new to oft-ignored desert biome, but will also provide a new and agile way of getting around the overworld. This cute new mob can be ridden by two players at a time, has a useful new dash mechanic, and its own adorable and realistic animations.

Chiseled bookshelves

Speaking of new items, and new wood types, there’s soon to be another wood item, useful for both builders and redstoners. The chiseled bookshelf is possibly one of the most interesting and exciting blocks to be added to Minecraft in a while thanks to its game-changing implications.

The chiseled bookshelf is a bookshelf you can interact with, a step up from the existing bookshelf, which may be decorative and useful in crafting recipes, but doesn’t actually function as a bookshelf. Now you can write notes and stories in a book, and store them safely in a chiseled bookshelf. Keep your precious enchanted books safe in a chiseled bookshelf. Even make secret doors with a chiseled bookshelf. Yes, the new block’s mechanics cause a redstone signal when a book is placed or removed, so your secret-castle-dungeon rooms can become a reality. Oh, and if you’ve got some spare, its sleek new wood design makes for a great floor.

Hanging signs

With the addition of the new bamboo ‘wood’ type, and the chiseled bookshelf, there comes another new wood crafting recipe, making the most of every wood type. For some time now, we have been able to craft signs that can either be placed on the ground or flat against a wall. Creative players use them not just for storytelling or for messages to other players, but in builds, such as armchairs or beds. With 1.20, we will see the addition of the hanging sign, a cute option to make shops, streets, or other Minecraft builds even more lifelike. And artistic players have already started to find other uses for hanging signs, with the bunting-like display seen above showcased during Minecraft Live.

New characters and skins

The eagle-eyed few who noticed new faces in recent Minecraft trailers got good news when it was announced that they are being added to Minecraft canon. These new characters are now official Minecraft skins, as Ario, Efe, Kai, Makena, Noor, Sunny, and Zuri join the well-known Steve and Alex. You can skin-up as one of the seven diverse new characters from both the Bedrock edition dressing room and the Java edition launcher already, so make sure you’re familiar with how to change your Minecraft skin.

Armor trims

If you’re happy with your Minecraft skin, then you can still further customise your style in Minecraft, making your fit extra drippy, with new Minecraft armor trims. Trimming your armour isn’t easy, so it adds an exciting new experience to the survival game, as you have to search high and low for new Smithing Templates, required to add some stylish detailing to your armour. Oh, and that’s before you’ve gathered enough of the valuable gems or ingots you need for the trims themselves.

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If you just can’t wait for the Minecraft Trails and Tales release date, get experimental features in your snapshots right now, and take a look at some of the best Minecraft seeds for the 1.20 update. We’ve got the best deserts and badlands to ride those camels, as well as bamboo jungles to help you familiarise yourself with three of the most underrated and under-used Minecraft biomes in preparation for the new update.