Minecraft 1.21 patch notes: everything new in the Tricky Trials update

It’s been a long wait, but Minecraft 1.21 is finally released today for both Java and Bedrock editions. Dubbed the Tricky Trials update, this version of the game centers around the Trial Chambers, a new underground structure that contains a series of procedurally generated challenges for cool loot.

There are a lot of extra bits coming with it though, so we’re covering everything new added in Minecraft 1.21 so you know what to look out for when you load back into your worlds. This comes shortly after Minecraft had its 15th anniversary, and you can check out our feature on Minecraft's influence over the last 15 years.

As we said, the Trial Chambers are the big ticket item for this update. They can be found underground below Y-level zero. They have a variety of new Tuff and Copper block variants, but more importantly, they contain unique spawners that spawn waves of enemies for you to defeat. Defeating them will spawn some loot, which has the potential to drop a vault key, which can be used on a vault block to get even more loot.

A new mob that’s exclusive to the Trial Chambers, the Breeze is a windy version of the Blaze. It jumps and glides around the map and shoots projectiles that cause a burst of wind to push anything away in the area where it lands. Killing them will drop Breeze Rods, which are important for another new item.

Another new mob, this is a scary variant on the Skeleton which can spawn in Trial Chambers and Swamp biomes. Like all skeletons, they shoot arrows, but these are poison-tipped arrows, making them a surprisingly dangerous foe. That said, they also come with mushrooms on their head, which you can use shears on to obtain if you’re bold enough to get close.

The Mace is a new weapon in Minecraft 1.21 which you can craft from a Breeze Rod and a Heavy Core, which only drop from Ominous Vaults. This is a unique weapon that does more damage depending on how far you’ve fallen from above your target and can be enchanted with effects that let you combo attacks and negate fall damage.

Three new enchantments can be added to the Mace:

Several new potion effects have been added as craftable potions and effects mobs in Trial Chambers can spawn with:

The Crafter is an item that allows you to set a standard 3x3 crafting recipe and craft it upon receiving a Redstone signal. It can be fed by items by Hoppers and Droppers, meaning that you can potentially create big chains of advanced auto-crafting if you’re good at Redstone.

Tuff and Copper now have new variants. Tuff can be crafted into Bricks, Polished, Stairs, Slabs, and Walls like all other types of stone, while Copper can now be crafted into Bulbs, Doors, Grates, and Trapdoors.

On top of this, 20 new paintings have been added for the first time in over a decade. They come in a range of sizes from 1x1 to 4x4.

Wrapping things up is a bunch of small but nice features. Firstly is three music discs:

Also three new Pottery Sherds that can all be found on decorated pots in Trial Chambers:

Finally, two new Smithing Templates that can be obtained from vaults and Ominous Vaults in Trials Chambers:

Probably.

RYAN WOODROW

Ryan Woodrow is Guides Editor for GLHF based in London, England. He has a particular love for JRPGs and the stories they tell. His all-time favorite JRPGs are the Xenoblade Chronicles games because of the highly emotive and philosophy-driven stories that hold great meaning. Other JRPGs he loves in the genre are Persona 5 Royal, Octopath Traveler, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Nier Automata, and Pokémon. He also regularly dives deep into the indie scene trying to find hidden gems and innovative ideas. Some of his favorite indie games include FTL: Faster Than Light, Thomas Was Alone, Moonlighter, Phantom Abyss, and Towerfall Ascension. More of his favorite games are Minecraft, Super Mario Odyssey, Stardew Valley, Skyrim, and XCOM 2. He has a first-class degree in Games Studies from Staffordshire University and has written for several sites such as USA Today's ForTheWin, Game Rant, The Sun, and KeenGamer. Email: ryan.woodrow@glhf.gg

Follow @SStyleSmark