When is the next Minecraft update? The next Minecraft update is on the way following the recent Spring to Life game drop. We’ve been looking into when 1.21.6 might arrive, and which new features it contains.
Minecraft updates are usually announced in the annual Minecraft Live broadcast, but Mojang revealed in late 2024 that there will now be more regular, smaller updates spread throughout the year. The Minecraft Bundles of Bravery update arrived in October 2024, while December’s larger Winter Drop added the Pale Garden to the list of Minecraft biomes. With 1.21.5 having launched in March 2025, here’s what’s coming to the sandbox game in Minecraft 1.21.6 and beyond.
Minecraft update release date estimate
The Minecraft 1.21.6 update date is likely to fall sometime in June 2025. The upcoming game drop brings new mobs, a locator bar to find your friends, and even a crafting recipe for saddles.
Some of the upcoming features were announced during the first Minecraft Live in 2025, though a release date wasn’t revealed as the focus was on the Spring to Life update. That said, we know there are now four game drops a year, and that would logically place them three months apart. The 1.21.5 update was released just over three months after The Garden Awakens update of December 2024. Based on this cadence, the update is likely to arrive in June.
In recent snapshots, a few more mechanics have been added to the roster for 1.21.6. Alongside the cute new flying Happy Ghast, you can leash multiple mobs together, making it easier to transport them across long distances. As of Minecraft 25w20a, you can also craft saddles, which is something we never saw coming. The lead recipe is also changing with 1.21.6 leading us to believe the next Minecraft drop is all about making life easier for players.
Minecraft 1.21.6 features
As of Minecraft snapshot 25w20a, we already know everything that’s coming with the next update. Alongside some smaller changes, like those in the 25w19a snapshot, here’s every major addition:
Ghast family
Minecraft Dried Ghasts are a cute, tiny new mob that can be picked up and placed in your inventory. This is a necessity, as it’s the only way to take these withered creatures to safety. Once you’ve cheered them up in the overworld, they’ll grow into Ghastlings and, eventually, Happy Ghasts, which you can ride as they float through the air.
Saddle crafting
Yep, you read that right. A crafting recipe for saddles is being added with 1.21.6. The missing saddle recipe has been incorporated into Minecraft lore, with players believing that it was lost to time since the item could only be found around the world and never crafted. We think it’s a little sad that the story is coming to an end, but it will make taming and riding horses a lot simpler.
Locator bar
The locator bar is especially useful for players on Minecraft servers or realms. A new bar on your basic Minecraft HUD, the locator bar acts like a standard compass videogame bar, with dots revealing the locations of nearby friends.
Lead changes
In what is seemingly a Minecraft update related to making things easier, your villager and mob leash troubles are a thing of the past. Now, transporting multiple entities at once is possible as you can leash them to each other – or just tie them all to a flying Ghast.
Harness
Speaking of flying Ghasts, you’ll need a harness to ride one. This new crafting recipe consists of three leather, two glass blocks, and one wool block. The classic aviator-style harness features a cute pair of vintage goggles. They’re worn down when the Ghast is mounted by a player and up when they’re flying solo.
Previous Minecraft drops dates
The dates of previous Minecraft drops are as follows:
- Spring to Life – March 25, 2025
- The Garden Awakens – December 3, 2024
- Bundles of Bravery – October 22, 2024
- Armored Paws – April 23, 2024
- Bats and Decorated Pots – December 5, 2023
With that information in mind, be sure to explore the previous Minecraft update and keep an eye on Minecraft snapshots for the first glimpse of what’s to come to the survival game next.
