Minecraft is renowned for its vast array of items, which players can acquire through various means, including crafting, trading with villagers, or looting treasure chests. Among these valuable items, saddles play a critical role, enabling players to ride horses, pigs, and even striders in the Nether dimension. Traditionally, players could only obtain saddles through loot chests or by trading with villagers. However, a significant update is set to transform how players can access this essential item.
Major Update: Crafting Saddles in Minecraft
The recently released snapshot, known as 25w20a, introduces a pivotal change in Minecraft’s crafting mechanics. Players can now craft saddles using three pieces of leather combined with an iron ingot. This update brings about notable implications for the leatherworker villager profession, potentially rendering it largely obsolete.

Impact on Leatherworkers
Traditionally, players would upgrade villager levels to unlock more lucrative trades. Typically, leatherworkers provided basic leather gear at lower levels and offered saddles for emeralds at the Master tier. Given the rarity of finding saddles in loot chests, this trade was highly valued, especially in multiplayer scenarios where exploring different biomes on horseback was essential for effective navigation.
With the advent of the crafting mechanic for saddles, the incentive to level up leatherworkers now diminishes significantly. The ability to efficiently craft saddles from easily sourced materials negates the need for leatherworker trades. Players are left questioning the value of spending emeralds on a crafted item which they can create effortlessly.
Community Reactions and Future Updates
The crafting of saddles has stirred discussions within the Minecraft community. Many players are urging Mojang to extend this crafting capability to name tags, another sought-after item that has remained elusive. The forthcoming summer update, expected to launch in June, promises to introduce a wealth of new content, including exciting features like new variants of ghasts, an improved locator bar, and enhanced leads.
The anticipated happy ghast will allow players to soar through the game world alongside four friends, providing a new layer of fun and collaboration in multiplayer adventures. With the ability to craft saddles, players are looking forward to a more engaging exploration experience with companions, highlighting Mojang’s commitment to enhancing multiplayer gameplay.
This upcoming update reflects Mojang’s dedication to continuously improving the Minecraft experience, suggesting that substantial changes are on the horizon for how players engage with one another and the environment.