Ah, there you are! I'm writing this changelog on the go because there's no time to waste. Plenty of new features from the next game drop go into testing checks watch right this second! I made us an itinerary so we can get exploring right away:

First, I suggest we hike to a chilly biome to befriend the ever-so fluffy cold cow before we trek to the sandy biomes where our auburn warm cow is kicking up dust. There, you better listen out for howling wind and other ambient desert sounds! Oh, and if you like satisfying sounds, let's make a pitstop where there's crunchy leaf litter! Perhaps pick some new wildflowers to bring home too? Then as night falls, we head towards water for the grand finale: the mesmerizing firefly bush with its dancing particles glimmering in the dark. And here I thought nothing could outshine my bug fixes!

Experimental Features

Blocks

• Added Leaf Litter block

• Short Grass now generates slightly sparser in Meadows

• Added Wildflowers block

Bush

• The Bush is a new type of decorative block that can be found in small patches in the following biomes:
  • Plains
  • Windswept Hills
  • Windswept Gravelly Hills
  • Windswept Forest
  • River
  • Forest
  • Birch Forest
  • Old Growth Birch Forest
• The Bush can be used in the Composter
• Using Bone Meal on a Bush places a neighbouring Bush next to the Bush if possible

Firefly Bush

• Added the Firefly Bush block
  • Spawns Firefly particles that fly around it when the player is near
  • Illuminates the area around it
• Using Bone Meal on a Firefly Bush drops a Firefly Bush block
• Firefly Bushes are found naturally in clumps next to water in the Overworld
• In Swamp biomes they can be found anywhere and are twice as likely to be found next to water

Cow Variants

• Added two new Cow variants - Warm Cow and Cold Cow!
• These have their own own unique texture and geometry, but not a separate spawn egg
• They spawn in the same biomes as the Warm, Cold, and Temperate Pigs

Leaf Litter

• Leaf Litter is a new type of decorative block which can be found in the Forests, Dark Forests and Wooded Badlands
• Leaf Litter can have different amounts of leaves in one block space
  • Up to four Leaf Litter pieces can be placed in the same block space
  • Placing a Leaf Litter into an already placed Leaf Litter block increases the amount of leaves
• Leaf Litter can be placed in four orientations
• Leaf Litter can be created by smelting any type of Leaves block
• Leaf Litter can be used as fuel for smelting
• Leaf Litter has unique block sounds

Wildflowers

• Wildflowers are a new type of flower which grow in Birch Forests, Old Growth Birch Forests and Meadows
  • Using Bone Meal on Grass Blocks in these biomes can grow Wildflowers
• Wildflowers can have different amounts of flowers in one block space
  • Up to four Wildflowers can be placed in the same block space
  • Placing Wildflowers into an already placed Wildflowers block increases the amount of flowers
  • Using Bone Meal on Wildflowers will produce more Wildflowers
• Wildflowers can be placed in four orientations
• Wildflowers can be crafted into Yellow Dye

New Ambient Sounds for Desert and Badlands

• Sand, Red Sand and Terracotta of any color have a chance of playing ambient sounds when surrounded by any one of them on at least 3 sides 8 blocks away
  • block.sand.ambient can be played in any biome
  • block.sand.ambient.attached only plays when in Desert or Badlands biomes
• Dead Bush blocks have a chance of playing ambient sounds when placed on top of two blocks that are any color of Terracotta, Sand or Red Sand blocks in any biome

Features and Bug Fixes

Blocks

• Placing a block in liquid, and then placing another block next to your first block in liquid will no longer replace your second placed block for a moment causing you to fall into the liquid

• Structure Blocks no longer briefly change textures when placed (MCPE-185531)

• Sea Pickles can now be placed on any block with center support (MCPE-116152)

• Barrier blocks will no longer prevent chunks rendering behind them (MCPE-153515)

Gameplay

• Fixed a mismatch between server and client when continuously building that caused orientation sensitive blocks to sometimes change to the wrong block

General

• Fixed a crash that would occur on Xbox if you pressed "Cancel" in the Xbox UI when converting a world or importing a world from Retail to Preview

• In Server Authoritative movement, when Players receive a movement correction it will use the current Player speed instead of a generic one, this should give a better experience.

• In Server Authoritative movement, when Players receive a downward movement correction it will now use gravity acceleration, this should give a better experience.

Mobs

• Foxes now take damage from lava, and not only fire (MCPE-56926)

Realms

• Fix Random Tick Speed and Respawn Radius settings resetting to default values (REALMS-11759)

• Fix "Reset Random Tick Speed" button not working when editing an existing world on Realms

User Interface

• Bundle tooltip no longer flickers for players beyond the first when playing in split screen

• Adjusted Minecoin purchase screen UI to not show stray pixels. Fixed overlapping issue on PS4.

• Replacing items with the lock_in_inventory component with items from the creative inventory using touch input now fails gracefully and produces a warning message.

• Align rideable entity inventory transparent background with other screens
  (MCPE-189224)

• Fixed problem with moving items from creative inventory to player inventory on pocket ui. (MCPE-185361)

Vanilla Parity

• Beacon rendering is no longer limited by the player's vertical distance from it (MCPE-25228)

Biomes

• Fixed an issue where Dark Forests were missing trees along their northern borders with other biomes

• Updated the tree composition in Dark Forests to match Java Edition, increasing the number of Dark Oak Trees and reducing the prevalence of other tree types

Mobs

• Donkeys now spawn in Savannas
• Donkeys now spawn in Plains in groups of 1-3 instead of 2-6
  (MCPE-118688)

Technical Updates

API - Scripting

• Unhandled rejected promises in scripting now include callstacks when logged.

@minecraft/server 1.18.0

• Renamed system.scriptEvent to system.sendScriptEvent

• Moved NamespaceNameErrorReason from beta to @minecraft/server 1.18.0

• Moved system.sendScriptEvent from beta to @minecraft/server 1.18.0

• Moved NamespaceNameError from beta to @minecraft/server 1.18.0

• Released InputInfo.getButtonState, InputButton, and ButtonState to @minecraft/server 1.18.0

• Released InputInfo.getMovementVector to @minecraft/server 1.18.0

• Released PlayerButtonInputAfterEvent, AfterEvents.playerButtonInput and InputEventOptions to @minecraft/server 1.18.0

• Several APIs have been given the Readonly permission, which allows them to now be called inside Before Event callbacks.

  • All methods for BlockVolume.
  • All methods for Vector.

• Changed spawnEntity method on Dimension to now take a variant of either a string or EntityType.

• Added placeFeature and placeFeatureRule APIs to the Dimension class

• Added isValid property to the Camera class.

Biomes

• Fix client_biome loading so grass_appearance and foliage_appearance settings are added if not specified when format_version is lower than 1.21.60 (MCPE-189816)

Blocks

• water and lava no longer will turn into flowing_water or flowing_lava when neighbor updates happen. water and lava now will respond to queued ticks without needing to change into another block

• The minecraft:map_color component underwent a schema change

  • It is now a JSON object with two fields "color" and "tint_method".
  • "color" is a required string field expecting an HEX representation of the RGB, prefixed with a # character.
  • "tint_method" is a string field that multiplies the color with a predefined tint. Supported values are "none, "default_foliage", "birch_foliage", "evergreen_foliage", "grass" and "water".
  • the old schema format is still supported for convenience.
    Examples:

    "minecraft:map_color": {
      "color": "#ABCDEF",
      "tint_method": "grass"
    }
    
    
    

    or

    "minecraft:map_color": {
      "color": "#ABCDEF"
    }
    
    
    

    or

    "minecraft:map_color": "#ABCDEF"
    

Components

• Multiple components that used effect durations can now be set to "infinite" including:

  • "minecraft:attack": "effect_duration"
  • "minecraft:healable": "duration" in the "effects" list
  • "minecraft:mob_effect": "effect_time"
  • "minecraft:projectile": "durationeasy", "durationnormal", and "durationhard" can now all use "infinite"
  • "minecraft:food": "duration" in the "effects" list
  • "minecraft:spell_effects": "duration" in the "add_effects" list
  • "minecraft:combat_regeneration": "regeneration_duration"
• Added the 'minecraft:replaceable' component which determines if a new block can replace the existing block at a particular position. If the component is not added to a block it is not replaceable.

Editor

• Shulker box's textures are fixed in Block picker and lists

• Fixed a bug that excluded some blocks from block picker list with partial text search

• Block picker search text field will have UI focus when modal opens

• Line Tool: Left Click no longer clears the line if two points already exist. Left Click now behaves the same as Shift + Left Click and always adds points to the existing line.

• Added cursor support for selecting invisible blocks when the Show Invisible Blocks setting is enabled

• Added IPropertyPane.addProgressIndicator API function to display a spinner or a progress bar property item

• Added ImageAnimationData API type to represent a sprite sheet animation for images

• Added iconAnimation: ImageAnimationData property to IActionBarItemCreationParams API

• Added IPropertyPane.addLink API function to create link buttons in panes.

• Added system.isEditorWorld property into @minecraft/server in beta

• Now using minecraft/server 2.0.0-beta, see API section for more details on 2.0.0-beta.

  • registerEditorExtension can be called in Early Execution.

Entities

• Fixed issue where No more entities assert failure occurred when flying through biomes during a storm

Jigsaw

• Fixed world_surface type of heightmap_projection in minecraft:jigsaw to generate on top of water and leaf blocks.

JSON Events

• The parameter "duration" in the "add_mob_effect" event can now be set to "infinite"

Sounds

• Added support for entity sound variants

  • Entity sounds now have a "variants" field which defines sound variants based on the runtime entity
  • Variants has a "key" field reading a Molang expression returning a string to select sound variant (eg: querying an enum entity property).
  • Variants has a "map" field which contains key-value pairs of a variant identifier and the sound events it overrides.
  • When playing a sound for an entity we first try to calculate their variant and see if that variant overrides the sound event, if not we play the sound form the base entity. If that fails we fall back to the existing logic of running from "defaults".
    Example:
    Given a mob with the following property

"minecraft:emotional_state": {
  "type": "enum",
  "values": [ "neutral", "angry", "happy", "sad" ],
  "default": "neutral",
  "client_sync": true
}

• Sound variants can be played by querying the property:

{
  "entity_sounds": {
    "entities": {
      "test_mob": {
        "volume": 1.0,
        "pitch": 1.0,
        // The base sounds for various events
        "events": {
          "ambient": "mob.test_mob.ambient",
          "death": "mob.test_mob.death",
          "step": {
            "sound": "mob.test_mob.step",
            "volume": 0.8,
            "pitch": 1.0
          },
          "attack": "mob.test_mob.attack"
        },
        "variants": {
            // Key returning the enum string for variants, can use any Molang expression resulting in a string
            "key": "query.property('minecraft:emotional_state')",
            "map": {
              // If a resulting variant key is not handled here then it will use the base sounds
              "neutral": {
                "volume": 1.0,
                "pitch": 1.0,
                "events": {
                  // If an event is not handled in a variant then it will use the base sound
                  "death": "mob.test_mob.death.netural"
                }
              },
              "angry": {
                "volume": 1.0,
                "pitch": 1.0,
                "events": {
                  // Variants can override different events than other variants
                  "death": "mob.test_mob.death.angry",
                  "ambient": "mob.test_mob.ambient.angry"
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Experimental Technical Updates

API - Scripting

@minecraft/server 2.0.0-beta

The beta for @minecraft/server has been updated to 2.0.0-beta. This signifies that breaking changes have occurred, largely related to script execution timing. Version 1.X will continue to function as-is.

Visit our documentation portal  for more information in the near future.

• Added new privilege EarlyExecution

  • 2.0.0-beta and higher now executes with the early execution privilege, scripting below 2.0.0-beta will continue to execute without early execution
  • All after and before event signals subscribeandunsubscribe` methods can now be called in early execution
  • The following System methods can now be called in early execution
    • clearJob
    • clearRun
    • run
    • runInterval
    • runJob
    • runTimeout
    • waitTicks
  • BlockComponentRegistry method registerCustomComponent can now be called in early execution
  • ItemComponentRegistry method registerCustomComponent can now be called in early execution

• Added startup property to SystemBeforeEvents

• Added StartupEvent

• Added StartupEventSignal

• WorldAfterEvents renamed property worldInitialize to worldLoad

• WorldBeforeEvents removed property worldInitialize

• WorldInitializeAfterEvent renamed to WorldLoadAfterEvent

• WorldInitializeAfterEventSignal renamed to WorldLoadAfterEventSignal

• Removed WorldInitializeBeforeEvent

• Removed WorldInitializeBeforeEventSignal

• Removed Dimension.runCommandAsync as most commands did not actually run asynchronously. If you are looking to run a function asynchronously, please investigate using Jobs via System.runJob.

• EntityComponent.getEntity method throws if the underlying entity is invalid (instead of return undefined previously).

• EntityInventoryComponent.containerproperty throws if the underlying entity is invalid (instead of return undefined previously).

• isValid methods on various classes have been changed to read only properties

• getComponents, getComponent and hasComponent now throw if the Entity is invalid

• applyKnockback method now takes a VectorXZ parameter for the knockback horizontal force (which includes the strength/magnitude), as well as a vertical strength parameter. To convert from V1, you should normalize your previous direction vector and multiply it by the old horizontal strength value. Vertical strength is the same as before.

• EffectType

  • getName method now always returns the minecraft: namespace prefix along with the name

• Effect

  • typeId property now always returns the minecraft: namespace prefix along with the name

• minecraft:air item has been removed (it is still a valid block)

• Promises are now flushed along with after events and system tasks

• system.waitTicks() now can accept an argument bounds of 0 minimum to run this tick

• Added a GraphicsMode enum and Player.graphicsMode to query a player's current graphics mode on the server.

• Added system.isEditorWorld property into @minecraft/server in beta

• BlockLocationIterator

  • Added isValid(): boolean method to beta. This method checks if the iterator as been invalidated by modifying the underlining block volume.

• BlockMapColorComponent API has been added to beta

• TintMethod enum has been added to beta

• Early execution changes in version @minecraft/server 2.0.0-beta

  • The following RegistrationBuilder methods can now be called in early execution
    • batch
    • maxAttempts
    • maxTicks
    • padding
    • required
    • requiredSuccessfulAttempts
    • rotateTest
    • setupTicks
    • structureName
    • tag
  • register function can now be called in early execution
  • registerAsync function can now be called in early execution

API - Molang

• Added query.graphics_mode_is_any to Molang which accepts any of the following parameters: simple, fancy, deferred, raytraced. These parameters are all graphics modes that are available in the settings menu.

Graphical

• Added a new version (1.21.70) for the lighting JSON schema in the Deferred Technical Preview. This new version adds support for controlling the intensity of sky light, which affects both the contribution of legacy sky lighting as well as sky reflections. See updated documentation on the Learning Portal for more details.

  • This object snippet can be added to lighting/global.json under the minecraft:lighting_settings object to control the sky intensity

"sky": {
    "intensity": 1.0 // Float value between [0.1 - 1.0]
}

• Improved the quality of screen space reflections, specifically cases where holes would appear in reflections at certain angles in the Deferred Technical Preview.
• Fixed a bug with water surface rendering that caused specular highlights to be much lower than they should have been in the Deferred Technical Preview.

Stability and Performance

• Resolve crash when changing point light shadow settings under Deferred Graphical Settings