It’s a new year, and that means more Minecraft updates in the run-up to the Caves and Cliffs update in the summer. These snapshots include small added features that will arrive all in one go later this year.
This time, Minecraft snapshot 21w03a adds Glow Squid – the mob that won the community vote at the end of last year – and Glow Lichen, a new addition to the expanded caves expected with Minecraft’s next huge update.
So, the Glow Squid. These new aquatic creatures do not spawn naturally in this snapshot, but they can be spawned in creative mode using a Glow Squid egg. This will give players the first chance to have a look at them!
Glow Squids are bright under the ocean, bringing light to even the darkest, deepest depths. That means they shouldn’t be too hard to find. When they’re killed – if you can bring yourself to do it – they will drop glowing ink sacs.
These ink sacs are an interesting new item in Minecraft. You can use the glowing ink to bring colour and light to your signs. This means you will be able to read the signs, even at night time. This can also be used to light up your item frames. You can use an ink sac on a sign to remove the glow later.
This is also the first time there’s a new mob interaction in the upcoming Caves and Cliffs update. Axolotls, another new mob, will attack any Glow Squid they see on site. So be careful when you’re planning your brand new exciting aquarium build.
Next up, the Glow Lichen. This is a new dim light source found naturally spawning in caves. You can collect it using shears or use bonemeal to help spread its growth along rocks. Glow Lichen will bring light to even the darkest caves.
Minecraft Snapshot 21w03a also includes a small change to dripstone – you can craft dripstone blocks from 4 pointed dripstone – and a host of bug fixes.
This includes a few changes to the Shulker mechanics – they can’t be pushed back or pushed inside other blocks anymore – and a couple of fixes for problems with feeding/taming animals and general crash fixes.
The Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update arrives summer 2021 and will feature lots of new mechanics to bring life to Minecraft’s fairly boring cave systems. It’s been ages since anything new was introduced to this key and important area of the game, and these snapshots give players a chance to try it out first on Java Edition.
