Mojang has recently held its inaugural Minecraft Live 2025, unveiling an exciting array of features set to enhance the gameplay experience in the upcoming game update. While the studio has yet to announce a specific release date for this next drop, they have confirmed several intriguing additions, including new variants of ghasts, a ghast block, a ghast harness, and a player locator bar.
Below, we delve deeper into each of the new features that players can expect to see in the highly anticipated summer game drop. Keep in mind that as Mojang progresses with development, more features may be revealed in the future.
Confirmed Features for Minecraft’s Upcoming Update
Dried Ghast Block
The upcoming update introduces the dried ghast block, a unique addition located within the Soul Sand Valley biome of the Nether, typically found near fossil formations. Visually, these blocks have a distinct appearance, resembling little ghasts with frowning faces and four tentacles. Slightly smaller than standard blocks, they promise to add a new layer of creativity to builds.
Players will have the ability to cultivate a new ghast variant named the “ghastling”by waterlogging the dried ghast block for several days, mimicking an egg incubation process to generate this adorable new creature.
Ghastling
The ghastling represents the latest variation in the ghast family that emerges through the waterlogging of dried ghast blocks. Unlike the traditional Nether ghast, the ghastling features a cheerful expression with raised eyebrows and is designed to be friendly and endearing, complete with three gills on its sides. Its sounds are notably more gentle, establishing it as a charming companion that flits around the player.
Players can help these ghastlings grow into a new adult variant known as the happy ghast by feeding them snowballs.
Happy Ghast
The transformation from ghastling to happy ghast is achieved as the creature grows through consuming snowballs. This unique ghast variant contrasts sharply with its Nether counterpart, featuring a cheerful disposition and a peaceful demeanor, free from aggressive tendencies.
In the Overworld, the happy ghast can assist players in flight when a ghast harness is equipped, and players can attract these entities using either harnesses or snowballs, enhancing both gameplay and exploration.
Ghast Harness
The ghast harness is an innovative item arriving in the next update, resembling a saddle specifically designed for happy ghasts. This item enables players to ride and steer the happy ghast through the skies of Minecraft.
Crafting the harness requires three leather pieces, two glass blocks, and one wool block in any color, allowing players to equip it seamlessly. When not being ridden, the harness’s goggles stay perched atop the ghast’s head, while they adjust over the eyes when a player is aboard.
Player Locator Bar
One of the first features showcased ahead of the Minecraft Live event was the player locator bar, a dashboard feature that enhances multiplayer experiences by replacing the traditional XP bar with colored dots representing each player in the game. This intuitive design allows for better coordination among players, with arrows indicating players’ vertical positions relative to each other.
The locator bar will dynamically adjust, with dots fading based on proximity, ensuring that players can stay connected and engaged regardless of where they are exploring in the vast Minecraft world.
As we look forward to the next game drop, these innovative features promise to transform how players interact with the Minecraft universe, promoting both creativity and collaboration.