New year, new testing features

Between drinking hot cocoa and mining for diamonds, our developers have been hard at work preparing the first game drop of 2025. So while we might only be seven days into the new year, we have six new features for you to test in Java snapshot – and four in Bedrock beta/preview! Grab your best exploration gear and join us on a journey to meet two new pig variations, discover wildflowers, rustle through crunchy leaf litter, and marvel at all the new, falling leaves. And after venturing near and far, you’ll be happy to hear that our sixth feature coming into testing is a new recipe for lodestone – making it easier for you to find your way home!

Two new pig variations

Pigs have been trotting the Overworld for 15 years – and now they're evolving! That means we’re adding in two more pig variations: the cold pig and the warm pig. Coated in fluffy fur, the cold pig thrives in the sub-zero temperatures of chillier biomes. The warm pig is rust-brown and can be found roaming the dunes of the sandy biomes. The Pig Positivity Score (which I’m pretty sure pigs themselves made up) has shot through the roof since this came into testing, but when you trek out to meet our new pigs, please report any oink-usual behavior to your nearest pig representative at bugs.mojang.com.

Ambient features

Forest biomes will feel even more alive thanks to tree three new ambient features: falling leaves, leaf litter, and wildflowers.

On your next expeditions into forests, dark forests, and wooded badlands, listen out for the crunch of leaves underfoot. Leaf litter makes a rustling sound when you walk through it and can be used to decorate other blocks. In meadows, birch forests, and old growth birch forests, you will instead find wildflowers. These yellow and white flowers can be crafted into dye and have four growth stages that speed up with bonemeal. Place them at different angles to have your builds bloom in different patterns!

On top of that, all the trees in the Overworld will also have matching leaf particles falling from them. 

All three ambient features are out today in Java snapshot now! Falling leaf particles are out in Bedrock preview and beta, and soon you'll be able to test leaf litter and wildflowers too.

Lodestone recipe update

As team captain of “Hang on, which way was my base again?”, I’m happy (but mostly relieved, really) to announce that the lodestone is getting a new, simpler recipe! Now, you’ll only need to combine an iron ingot with your chiseled bricks to craft a lodestone. By placing this block in your base – or that hilltop with all the fluffy cold pigs – you will always find your way back with a compass. So what are you waiting for? Craft a lodestone, then head out into the Overworld to explore all the new features coming into testing!

How can I test these features? 

You can test these features by enabling snapshots for Minecraft: Java Edition, or by enabling previews/beta* for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. To install a snapshot, open up the Minecraft Launcher and enable snapshots in the "Installations" tab. To enable preview/beta for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition follow these instructions. 

*Preview is available for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition Realms on Xbox, Windows 10/11, and iOS. Betas are available on Android (Google Play).  

Send us your feedback! 

These features are all still in development, which means that the details outlined above might change as we iterate on them. So then why have we released them into testing? Because we want your feedback! Send your thoughts here, and report bugs at bugs.mojang.com!