The wolf is arguably one of Minecraft’s most beloved mobs. Despite its popularity, however, it has not undergone many visual changes since its initial release in Beta 1.4 in 2011. Aside from some (frankly barely noticeable) tweaks to the mob’s texture in certain patches, the only feature added for better wolf customization over the years has been the ability to dye collar colors. As such, more diverse options for wolf customization have become a commonly requested feature over the years—and Mojang has finally answered its players’ demands. Last week, Minecraft revealed the addition of 8 new wolf variants with the release of Java snapshot 24w10a.
These upcoming variants will be encountered in different biomes and will vary in rarity depending on the rarity of the biome they spawn in.
Here is a list of all the new wolf variants as well as the biomes they can be found in:
- The snowy wolf can be found in the grove biome.
- The ashen wolf can be found in the snowy taiga biome.
- The chestnut wolf can be found in the old growth spruce taiga biome.
- The black wolf can be found in the old growth pine taiga biome.
- The striped wolf can be found in the wooded badlands biome.
- The spotted wolf can be found in the savanna plateau biome.
- The rusty wolf can be found in the sparse jungle biome.
- The woods wolf can be found in the forest biome.
- The original wolf, which has now been renamed as the pale wolf, can be found in the taiga biome.
There’s more news for man’s pixel best friend: Wolf armor will also be added in 1.21. Players will now be able to craft armor to protect their wolves. The armor, which acts as a shield to absorb damage, depletes in durability as it deflects more damage. This is reflected in the armor’s visual appearance; as the armor absorbs more damage, more cracks will appear. The armor will also be dyeable.
But the update will bring more than only wolf content: Players can look forward to several other features for 1.21, including Trial Chambers, more blocks, and more mobs.
The Trial Chamber is a new type of auto-generated underground structure within which players can complete challenges in exchange for rewards. Players can begin these challenges by finding Trial Spawners, an eponymous block that spawns mobs as the player approaches. If all mobs are successfully defeated, players will obtain Trial Keys, which can be used to open Vaults for loot. Trial Spawners have a spawning cooldown of 30 minutes, however, and may only spawn a limited number of mobs at one time.
Additionally, the Trial Chambers will play host to two new hostile mobs to be added in this update: The Breeze and the Bogged. The Breeze will spawn exclusively in Trial Chambers and will attack the player by firing wind projectiles that knock the player back and deal damage. Upon impact, the projectiles may also interact with certain blocks such as lit candles, levers, bells, and more. When defeated, the Breeze will drop a new item: The Wind Charge, which functions similarly to its own projectile attack. Players can cast these Wind Charges at mobs to damage them and fling them back; alternatively, Wind Charges can also be cast below the player to boost jump height and distance.
The second new hostile mob to be added in 1.21 will be the Bogged, a variant of the Skeleton mob that can also spawn above ground in the swamp and mangrove swamp biomes in addition to Trial Chambers. It can shoot poisonous arrows at the player but has slower movement speed and less health than the regular Skeleton.
The last mob to be added in this upcoming patch will be the armadillo, the winner of the Minecraft Mob Vote 2023. While passive, the armadillo will curl up when it senses a threat approaching. When killed, it will drop armadillo scutes, a new item that can be used to craft and repair armor for wolves. Fortunately, it won’t be necessary to kill this cute mob for its drops—players can use the brush on the armadillo to acquire scutes as well.
The final additions to the update are a variety of new copper and tuff blocks, as well as the Crafter block. The Crafter block is a redstone-powered block that automatically crafts designated items. There are also new variants of copper blocks. Players can now obtain a variety of new copper and tuff block variants from crafting and stonecutting. Like existing copper blocks, the new additions may be waxed to prevent oxidation.
All of these new features are currently only available in the game’s most recent snapshot. The official release for version 1.21 is scheduled for mid-2024. Until then, players can look out for news of more features to come.
