1.16 - Nether Update

Java Edition version history
◄ 1.15 • 1.16 • 1.17 ►

Bedrock Edition version history
◄ 1.14 • 1.16 • 1.17 ►

1.16 - Nether Update
Date published	June 23, 2020
Additions	Piglins, Zombified Piglin Hoglins Zoglins, Striders, Piglin Brutes, Nether biomes Soul Sand Valley, Crimson Forest, Warped Forest, and Basalt Deltas. New nether-related vegetation as Crimson and Warped Nylium and Warped/Crimson trees, Crying Obsidian that can be made into Respawn Anchors.

Nether Update Official Trailer

1.16, the first release of the Nether Update, is a major update for Minecraft: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition themed around revamping the Nether, released on June 23, 2020.

Additions

Mobs

Piglins

• Have 16 ( x 8) health
• Spawn in Crimson Forests,Bastion Remnants, and Nether Wastes biomes
• Randomly spawn with golden sword or crossbow and a random loadout of golden armour
• Adults are hostile unless the player is wearing at least one piece of gold armor. Despite this, adult piglins turn aggressive when a player is mining blocks of gold or opening/breaking chests.
• Players can barter with them by right-clicking with gold ingots or dropping them on the ground, which makes them drop at least one item or block in return but the drop is completely random.
• Attack wither skeletons on sight, as well as hoglins
• Avoid all soul fire blocks due to them being afraid, Zombified Piglins, and Zoglins
• Will convert to a zombified piglin when in the overworld or the End
• Able to be affected by Fire damage

Hoglins

• Have 40 ( x 20) health
• Spawn in Crimson Forests
• Drops raw porkchop and leather
• Naturally hostile towards the player
• Attacks by throwing its enemies up into the air using its tusks similar to an Iron Golem.
  • Appears to have a higher melee range than most Mobs
• Can be bred with crimson fungi
• Previously known as the "piglin beast", soon changed to "Hoglin" by the community.
• When bred using crimson fungus, they will produce baby hoglins.
• Will avoid warped fungus, Nether Portals, and Respawn Anchors
• Able to be affected by Fire damage

Striders

• Have 20 ( x 10) health
• A passive mob that spawns in the Nether on lava oceans
• Drops strings
• Can be saddled and controlled with a Warped Fungus on a Stick similar to a pig
• Can be damaged by water and rain
• Moves in and out of lava, though it moves significantly slower out of lava.
• Are immune to fire and lava damage.
• Are breedable with warped fungus

Zoglin

• Have 40 ( x 20) health
• A zombified variant of the hoglin, created when it is brought into the overworld
• Attack most mobs on sight except for Creepers and its kind.
• Immune to lava and fire damage.
• Has the same attack as the Hoglin.
• Ignores warped fungus and cannot be bred by the player.

Piglin Brute

• Have 50 ( x 25) health
• Holds an axe instead of a sword or crossbow.
• Attacks the player even if they throw gold ingots, or wear any gold armor piece.
• Isn't scared of Soul Fire items.
• Spawns only in a Bastion Remnant.
• Added in 1.16.2 (1.16.20 bedrock edition)
• They do not trade with the gold

Items

Netherite Ingot

• Can be used to craft the best tools and armor in the game by putting a diamond armor or tool with a Netherite Ingot in a smithing table.
• Can also craft a block of Netherite and vice versa.
• Crafted from Netherite scraps (which are smelted from ancient debris).
• Can float on lava so you don't lose items.
• Crafted from 4 Netherite Scraps and 4 gold ingots.
• Can be used as fuel for a beacon
• Used in a Smithing Table to upgrade Diamond Armor to Netherite Armor.

Netherite Scrap

• Made after smelting ancient debris in a furnace, blast furnace, or smoker.
• If the player puts 4 pieces of Netherite scrap and 4 pieces of gold in a crafting grid, it will make one Netherite ingot.

Soul Speed Enchanted Book

• Enchants Boots.
• Allows for the player to run faster on soul sand and soul soil.
• Allows for up to 3 levels of enchantment on the boots without using commands.
• Makes a new particle while the player is running on Soul Sand or Soul Soil.

Lodestone Compass

• This compass will work in any dimension.
• This compass will point to the Lodestone it's linked with.
  

Warped Fungus on a Stick

• Crafted with a Warped Fungus and a Fishing Rod.
• Are used to direct Striders while riding (Similar to A pig with a Carrot on a Stick).
• Striders will also be attracted to it.

Pigstep music disc

• Can only be found in Bastion Remnants.
• Song composed by Lena Raine.
• Its color is uniquely red, perhaps reflecting the fact that it comes from the Nether instead of the Overworld.

Snout Banner Pattern

• Can also only be found in bastion remnants.
• Was renamed from the Piglin Banner Pattern to Snout.

Blocks

Soul Fire

• Acts the same as regular fire.
• Deals double the damage of regular fire per second.
• Fire lit on soul soil and soul sand will turn blue.
• It generates naturally in the soul sand valley biome in the Nether.
• It currently does not melt snow and ice.
• It does not burn wood.
• Gives a light level of 10 instead of 15 from regular fire.
• Scares away Piglins
  

Soul Campfire

• This block can scare away piglins.
• Functions exactly like a normal campfire, except that it gives a light level of 10 instead of 15 from a regular campfire.

Soul Torch

• The Soul Torch can scare away Piglins.
• The Soul Torch produces less light than normal torches.
• The Soul Torch acts the same as a regular torch, except that it gives a light level of 10 instead of 14 from a regular torch.

Soul Lantern

• The Soul Lantern acts the same as a regular lantern.
• The Soul Lantern can scare away Piglins.
• The Soul Lantern produces less light than a normal lantern.

Nether Roots

• Generated in the warped forest & crimson forest.

Nether Sprouts

• Generated in the warped forest & crimson forest.
  

Fungus

• Two new types of fungus will be added to the warped forest & the crimson forest. One is teal with orange spots and the other is pinkish-red with a brain-like pattern.
• It grows the warped/crimson Trees in the warped Forest & crimson forest if bonemealed.

Warped Wart Block

A variation of the Nether wart block.

• Generates in the warped forest.
• Along with the Nether wart block, it can now be easily mined with hoes.
• Is blue instead of red.

Stems

• Veiny looking blocks that comprise trunks on the huge warped/crimson fungi in the crimson forest & warped forest.
• Can be stripped to produce Stripped Warped and Crimson Stems.

  

Hyphae

• Resemble Warped & Crimson stems, but with the "bark" on all sides.
• Can be stripped with an axe.
  
• Is crafted with 4 of either stem to create its corresponding Hyphae.

Nylium

• Resembles grass blocks.
• Grows on top of Netherrack.
• Comes in red and blue (crimson and warped).
• Grass of the Warped and Crimson forest.
• Can reproduce using bone meal on netherrack next to nylium.

Target

• Resembles hay bale's side texture.
• Emits a Redstone signal when shot with an arrow.
• The signal is stronger depending on how close the arrow is to the center of the block, up to 15 when the arrow is in the center.
• Advancement "bullseye" is obtained when shot at the exact middle.

Shroomlight

• This light-emitting Shroomlight block which closely resembles glowstone can also be seen.
• Appears to compose the spots of fungus.

Basalt

• This block makes up pillars of basalt and the spikes of the Basalt Deltas.
• Can be crafted to polished basalt.
• Generates when lava comes into contact with blue ice.

  

Polished Basalt

• Obtained by crafting normal basalt into polished basalt and is purely decorative.

Blackstone

• Found in basalt deltas.
• Is a alternitive source of cobblestone
• Can be crafted into furnaces, brewing stands and stone tools.
• Can be crafted into polished blackstone.

Polished Blackstone

• Is crafted from blackstone.
• Can be crafted into many block variations.

Chiseled Polished Blackstone

• Can be crafted from polished blackstone.
• A purely decorative block.

Polished Blackstone Bricks

• Can be crafted from polished blackstone.
• A purely decorative block.

Cracked Polished Blackstone Bricks

• Is obtained by smelting polished blackstone brick.

Quartz Bricks

• Crafted in a stonecutter with or by crafting four quartz blocks together.

Cracked & Chiseled Nether Bricks 

• Cracked Nether Bricks are obtained by smelting Nether Bricks in a Furnace.
• Chiseled Nether Bricks are obtained through a Stonecutter or by crafting two Nether Brick Slabs together.

  

Soul Soil

• Appears almost everywhere in the soul sand valley biome.
• It slightly resembles soul sand.
• Light a fire on a soul soil block to get soul fire. 
• Can be crafted into soul torches and soul campfires.

Weeping Vines

• They grow like kelp and vines.
• They grow in the crimson forest.
• Can be climbed like twisting vines/vines.

  

Twisting Vines

• They only grow upward.
• They are climbable just like vines/weeping vines.
• They grow in the warped forest.

Block of Netherite

• Can be crafted back into Netherite ingots.
• This block can be used as a decoration.
• This block is crafted using nine Netherite ingots.
• This block can be stacked in a pyramid form to power a beacon.
• Can be pushed and pulled by pistons.
• you will need 36 netherite scraps and 36 gold ingots to make one netherite block

Nether Planks

• Can be used to craft all wood related items just like regular wood planks (except for boats).
• Does not burn in the fire.
• They come in blue or red (warped and crimson).

Chain

• Crafted with 1 Iron Ingot and 2 Iron Nuggets.
• Found in Bastion Remnants in chests and on ceilings.

Ancient Debris

• Can be mined with a diamond pickaxe.
• Is used to smelt Netherite scraps.
• Is the second rarest ore. First being emerald ore.
• Can be pushed and pulled by pistons.
• Cannot generate exposed to air.

Crying Obsidian

• Crying obsidian is obtainable by bartering with a Piglin.
• It can generate in ruined portals
• Is used to craft a respawn anchor.
• Unlike normal obsidian, it cannot be used to make a Nether portal and glows and produces a light level of 9.

Gilded Blackstone

• Found in Bastion Remnants.
• Normally drops itself, has a chance to drop gold nuggets when mined.
• Cannot be smelted.

Nether Gold Ore 

• Is obtainable by mining it in the nether.
• Drops 2-6 gold nuggets when mined by any pickaxe.
• Makes 1 gold ingot when smelted.

Fully charged

Respawn Anchor

• Crafted with crying obsidian.
• Can be used to set spawn points using glowstone as charges.
• A maximum of 4 charges can be set at once, with one charge being depleted each respawn.
• Using it in the Overworld or The End causes it to explode and set fire to surrounding blocks, like beds in the nether and end.

Lodestone

• Lodestone is used for compasses to point at that lodestone by interacting with the lodestone while holding the compass, and the lodestone also makes compasses work in other dimensions.

Biomes

• The Nether had gotten four new biomes, and renamed a biome:

  • 

    The Soul Sand Valley includes uncovered fossils, soul sand, large basalt pillars, blue fog, and soul fire. Ghasts and Skeletons spawn here.

  • 

    The Crimson Forest is a dense forest with trees made of nether wart blocks and weeping vines. Piglins and Hoglins spawn here.

  • 

    The Warped Forest is a variation of the Crimson Forest, with warped fungus, twisting vines, and nether roots found on the ground. Endermen spawn here.

  • 

    The Basalt Deltas are volcanic places made up of Basalt and Blackstone on the ground and roof, lava, magma cubes, magma blocks, glowstone, gravel, and mushrooms.

Structures

Basalt Pillars

• Pillars in the Soul Sand Valley made of basalt.

Bastion Remnants

• Huge fortifications that are found in the Nether.
• Have piglins and piglin brutes inside

Nether Fossils

• Generate in Soul Sand Valleys, and are comprised of bone blocks.

Ruined Portals

• Generates in every biome in the Overworld and The Nether, and are made of Obsidian, Crying Obsidian, and dimension themed Blocks, and these Portals are Nether Portals that are destroyed.

Commands

• /locatebiome (Java Edition only)
• /attribute

Changes

Zombie Pigman

• Zombie Pigmen were renamed to Zombified Piglins and have a completely new texture.

Farmer Villagers

• Farmer villagers now collect seeds from composters.

Nether Wastes

• The Normal Nether became a biome and was renamed Nether Wastes.

Hoes

• Can be enchanted with Efficiency, Fortune, and Silk Touch by using an enchantment table.
• Breaks leaves, warped wart blocks, Nether wart blocks, targets, dried kelp blocks, shroomlights, sponges, wet sponges, and haybales faster.

Smithing Table

• Now upgrades diamond tools into Netherite tools.

Compass

• Can now be enchanted with the curse of vanishing enchantment.

Gameplay

Advancements

• Mojang Studios added ten new advancements:
  • Hidden in the Depths – Obtain ancient debris
  • Cover Me In Debris – Get a full suit of Netherite armor
  • Country Lode, Take Me Home – Use a compass on a lodestone
  • Who is Cutting Onions? – Obtain crying obsidian
  • Not Quite "Nine" Lives – Fully charge a respawn anchor
  • This Boat Has Legs – Ride a Strider with a warped fungus on a stick
  • Hot Tourist Destinations – Explore all Nether biomes
  • Those Were The Days – Enter a Bastion Remnant
  • War Pigs – Open a chest in a Bastion Remnant
  • Oh Shiny – Distract an aggressive Piglin with any gold item without wearing any golden armor.

Fishing

• Treasure loot can only be fished up when fishing in open waters.

Respawning

• Players will be able to respawn in the Nether with the respawn anchor.
  

Ambience

• Added additional ambient sounds for the Nether.

Soul Sand

• Fire lit on soul sand will also turn into soul fire just like soul soil.
  

Spawning rules

• Fish now despawn when 64 blocks away from the player, unless placed from a bucket or named with a name tag.

Bartering

Bartering is a form of trading with Piglins and is a gameplay mechanic that allows the player to throw or right-click a Gold Ingot at a Piglin and the Piglin will give an item in return.

Other

• Basalt can be generated when lava runs over soul soil while it comes into contact with blue ice.
• Added 4 new songs to The Nether, composed by Lena Raine: "Rubedo", "Chrysopoeia", "So Below", and "Pigstep".

Snapshots and Subsequent updates

Snapshots

As of June 18, 2020 there were 19 snapshots, eight pre-releases, and one release candidate for 1.16.

1.16.1

1.16.1 was released on June 24, 2020, and fixed a bug with Realms.

1.16.2

1.16.2 was released on August 11, 2020, and added Piglin Brutes, experimental support for custom Biomes, and fixed bugs.

As of August 10, 2020 there were four snapshots, three pre-releases and two release candidates for 1.16.2.

1.16.3

1.16.3 was released on September 10, 2020, and fixed two known bugs.

As of September 7, 2020 there was only one release candidate for 1.16.3.

1.16.4

1.16.4 was released on November 2, 2020, adding a social interactions screen and fixing three bugs.

As of October 27, 2020 there were two pre-releases and only one release candidate for 1.16.4.

1.16.5

1.16.5 was released on January 15, 2021, fixing two issues related to server crashes.

As of January 13, 2021, there was only one release candidate for 1.16.5.

Gallery

Click for full 1.16 - Nether Update gallery.

Videos

Nether Update Official Trailer

EVERYTHING in the Minecraft 1.16 Nether Update!

Trivia

• Starting with 1.16, all major update version numbers will be the same for both Java and Bedrock editions.
• 1.16 is the first update since Java Edition Indev to add a new set of tools and armor.
• 1.16 is the first update to add biomes to a dimension other than the overworld.
• Pigstep is the first music disc composed by Lena Raine and the first to have a red disc as opposed to the normal black color.
• 1.16 is the first update to have release candidates since 1.0.0.
• Near the end of the trailer, you can hear the currently unused sound for the Ghast, affectionate_scream.ogg.
• There were nineteen snapshots, eight pre-releases, and one release candidate for 1.16.
• This is the first update in a while to not include "Removed Herobrine" in the change log.