Minecraft’s latest update is centered around baby animals, with a few extra additions. Many of us have been asking for more (and better) baby animals for a long time, and now we have them! In this article I’ll go over what’s in the update, what impact it has on gameplay, and my thoughts on it all.
The Baby Mobs
The centerpiece of this update is the baby mob retexture. Over 40 different mobs have had their textures and/or 3D models updated. I won’t list them all here, because it’s basically all of them. Baby zombies are cuter, baby chickens are tiny cubes, rabbits have been completely overhauled, and much more. You can check out the full list of texture updates on the Minecraft Wiki.
Rabbits in particular are interesting because they have had their model changed significantly, and now have an idle animation where they can sit up on their hind legs and tilt their head. It’s very cute.
Sounds have also been changed. Kittens, chicks, foals, baby pigs, and puppies now have unique sounds instead of just using pitched-up versions of adult sounds. While I’m going to miss the funny high-pitched meows, I’m definitely going to appreciate having some variety when entering my house full of cats.
Another change is that baby mobs can now fit through 1-block high and 0.5-block wide gaps. Be careful when you update - baby zombies that previously were unable to fit may now have free rein over your base by way of decorative wall gaps.
And finally, baby humanoid mobs that can wear armor now have unique armor textures and models. These models don’t display trim when worn.
Golden Dandelion
How are you going to be able to appreciate all of these new textures, sounds, and models thoroughly before your mobs grow up? Well, the devs thought about that and added the perfect solution: the Golden Dandelion.
The golden dandelion can be crafted with 8 nuggets and a normal dandelion. When used on a baby animal, it will prevent that animal from aging. You can use it a second time to undo this effect. This also has no effect on baby undead mobs, baby piglins, and baby villagers.
I appreciate this feature so much. I’m going to fill my house with entirely too many baby cats and nobody can stop me. Maybe I’ll keep some baby axolotls for my aquarium too.
Miscellaneous Changes
There are several other notable changes that don’t fit into their own section.
Several adult mobs also got an update to their sound variants. These include the “Picky” sound variant for chickens, “Royal” for cats, “Moody” for cows, and both “Mini” and “Big” for pigs. Check out the Minecraft Wiki for examples of each of these sounds.
Speaking of sounds, there is a new instrument for note blocks. The trumpet has been added, and can be heard when a note block is placed on top of a standard block of copper, a cut copper block, or a chiseled copper block. The sound varies based on the oxidation level of the copper block.
And here’s one of my favorite changes of the update. You can now craft name tags! Finally - I have been waiting years for this. Villagers no longer trade for name tags, they can no longer be found in loot in mansions and ancient cities, and wandering traders can now sell them. To craft a name tag, all you need is a piece of paper and a nugget of any type of metal, diagonal from each other in the grid. That’s it! Name tags were always so rare, and modpacks often kept that rarity, or had excruciating recipes. Now, it’s as simple as paper and a nugget.
And finally, 2 small changes to cap off this update - stonecutters can now turn stone and deepslate into their cobbled versions, and the Librarian villager now sells red candles and yellow candles for 3 emeralds each.
Final Verdict
This update has tons of small changes. It sits on the edge between a quality of life update and a full-blown content update. I am going to get a lot of enjoyment from the baby mobs for sure, but compared to previous drops like the Copper Age or Mounts of Mayhem drops, it does feel a little threadbare. For full sources and details for this update, check out the official Minecraft Wiki!
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I know I’m going to be keeping some kittens in my base from now on. What baby mob are you going to dandelion to keep around?
So long, and thanks for all the dandelions!