The anticipated update for Minecraft 1.21.5 Java Edition is on the cusp of release. After nearly three months of intensive development, Mojang Studios has officially rolled out the first release candidate for the Spring Drop 2025, marking a significant milestone in the update’s journey.
In recent weeks, the development team has been working diligently on multiple pre-release versions for Java Edition, effectively addressing and resolving a myriad of bugs to enhance the gameplay experience for all players eager to explore the 1.21.5 update. The transition from pre-releases to release candidates indicates a pivotal shift toward finalizing the update.
On March 20, 2025, Mojang unveiled the first release candidate for Minecraft 1.21.5, which is primarily focused on implementing a handful of bug fixes. Below, we’ll outline the specific issues that have been addressed in this release candidate.
Patch Notes for Minecraft 1.21.5 Release Candidate 1
This inaugural release candidate is relatively minor, reflecting the significant progress made in prior snapshots and pre-releases. The latest version, 1.21.5 rc-1, includes the following three bug fixes:
Bug Fixes in Release Candidate 1
- MC-295383 – Clarified the logical inconsistency in the message “Received missed or reordered chat message from server.”
- MC-295412 – Corrected the erroneous lighting of magma blocks.
- MC-295416 – Resolved the incorrect shading issue affecting beacons from nearby blocks.
The recent pre-release versions had altered the lighting dynamics of magma blocks, causing them to behave incorrectly—an issue that has now been addressed. Additionally, beacons were experiencing shading problems due to surrounding blocks casting shadows incorrectly, which has also been rectified.
Downloading Minecraft 1.21.5 Release Candidate 1
Minecraft release candidates operate similarly to snapshots. To download the 1.21.5 rc-1, adhere to the following steps:
- Launch the official Minecraft Launcher.
- Select the “Minecraft: Java Edition”.
- Navigate to the Installations tab.
- Enable the Snapshots feature.
- Click on “New Installation”.
- Choose Latest Snapshot (1.21.5 rc-1).
- Hit “Install”to download version 1.21.5 rc-1.
Once downloaded, simply return to the home page of Minecraft: Java Edition and select version 1.21.5 rc-1 to start your adventure.
Understanding Minecraft Release Candidates
As implied by their name, release candidates represent the final stages of the development process for a Minecraft Java Edition update. These versions are essentially the potential final versions awaiting confirmation of their stability. If developers uncover no significant bugs during this phase, the release candidate will transition to the official update.
Traditionally, Minecraft updates receive two to three release candidates prior to their official rollout. The existence of a release candidate strongly indicates that the update is close to being finalized.
With Minecraft Live being just around the corner, players can anticipate an announcement regarding the release date of Spring Drop 2025 soon. This aligns with the fact that the Bedrock Edition is already in the development phase for its second major update of the year.