Minecraft 1.21 Tricky Trials update: Release date, major features, mobs, mace, trial chambers, and more

Minecraft 1.21 update, titled the Tricky Trials update, is the brand new update coming to the Java and Bedrock Editions. Players can discover a wide array of features, ranging from a massive new dungeon called Trial Chambers to an extremely powerful new weapon called the mace. Additionally, there are new enchantments for the mace, two new mobs, new copper blocks, tuff blocks, a crafter, and numerous quality-of-life changes.

The Minecraft 1.21 Tricky Trials update is set to release on June 13, 2024, on all platforms. On this day, players can dive into their worlds to explore a plethora of new features. In this article, players can learn about all the new features coming in the Minecraft 1.21 update, along with a countdown.

Minecraft 1.21 update - Every major feature

Minecraft 1.21 update release date and time

The Minecraft 1.21 update is set to release on Thursday, June 13, 2024. While Mojang has only revealed the release date for the Minecraft 1.21 update, players can speculate on the release time based on previous updates. Most of the past major updates started rolling out for all platforms around 8:30 AM PST. The Minecraft 1.21 update may release around the same time.

Trial chamber - New structure

Minecraft 1.21 update new structure - Trial chambers (Image via Mojang)

Generating between Y=-40 and Y=0 in the Minecraft 1.21 update, trial chambers are new generated structures that can appear with randomized layouts of various chambers and hallways. Composed primarily of new copper and tuff blocks, these chambers also contain the new trial spawner block which can spawn mobs like zombies, slimes, skeletons, silverfish, spiders, and the new breeze mob and can spawn different quantities based on nearby players.

When the spawned mobs are defeated, players can collect items ejected from the trial spawner including new trial keys, food items, potions, emeralds, and ender pearls. Vaults and ominous vaults can also be found scattered throughout the many hallways and rooms of trial chambers, complete with some goodies that should please players making their way through the midgame. Use a trial chamber explorer map to easily find these large dungeons.

New Mobs

The Bogged

Spawning in swamps, mangrove swamps, and trial chambers in Minecraft 1.21 is the bogged, a new variation of the skeleton mob. They’re quite similar to standard skeletons but can fire poisonous arrows at their targets, making every shot they land much more deadly by comparison. On the upside, these swampy skeletons can be sheared to receive mushrooms and drop their poisonous arrows upon death.

The Breeze

Breeze mob coming in Minecraft 1.21 update (Image via Mojang)

Spawned by trial spawner blocks, the breeze is a new wind-focused mob in the Minecraft 1.21 update. Capable of leaping about the trial chamber, this hostile mob is highly mobile and will attack its targets with volatile projectiles known as wind charges. Although the charges don’t deal much damage on direct contact, they’re capable of launching targets into the air which can result in a significant amount of fall damage.

Wind charges fired by the breeze also have the ability to activate/deactivate certain blocks including non-iron doors/trapdoors, fence gates, buttons, levers, bells, and candles. However, they’re incapable of altering other blocks or those held in place by a redstone signal. On defeating the breeze, players will be rewarded with breeze rods, which is discussed further below.

The Wind Charge

Minecraft players in the 1.21 update can harness the breeze’s projectile for their own use (Image via Mojang Studios)

In addition to being the primary attack of breeze mobs, wind charges can be collected from killed breezes by breaking down breeze rods and then used as players see fit.

Players can throw these projectiles, which will cause a small amount of damage and a large amount of knockback with its AOE wind burst. Wind charges can also be placed in dispensers and similar blocks, allowing players to use them in some pretty creative builds, including elevators and hidden doors.

New Tuff and Copper blocks

Tuff and copper block in Minecraft 1.21 update (Image via Mojang)

With the arrival of trial chambers in Minecraft 1.21 update, new copper and tuff block variants are coming along for the ride. Several new block iterations of both copper and tuff can be found naturally generating in trial chambers, though some can only be crafted by players. Regardless, this expanded catalog of blocks should help players spice up their builds and decorations.

The confirmed block variants for the Minecraft 1.21 update are as follows:

Chiseled Copper - Obtained via stonecutter and appears naturally in trial chambers
Copper Grates - A waterlog-able see-through block that can be found in trial chambers or crafted by combining four blocks of copper.
Copper Bulb - Copper bulb is a new light source block that loses its light level with oxidation. Found in trial chambers and crafted by combining three blocks of copper, a blaze rod, and a piece of redstone dust.
Copper Doors - Crafted using six blocks of copper in the traditional door crafting recipe or found within trial chambers.
Copper Trapdoors - Crafted using six blocks of copper in the original trapdoor crafting recipe or found in trial chambers.
Tuff Stairs - Crafted with tuff blocks or cut via stonecutter.
Tuff Slab - Crafted with tuff or via stonecutter, it can be used to make chiseled tuff.
Tuff Walls - Crafted with tuff blocks or cut with a stonecutter.
Chiseled Tuff - Created by combining two tuff slabs, also generated in trial chambers.
Polished Tuff - Can be found in trial chambers, crafted from tuff, or made in a stonecutter. Has its own stair, slab, and wall variants.
Tuff Bricks - Generated in trial chambers and crafted from polished tuff or via the stonecutter. Has its own stairs, slabs, and walls, and can also be used to make chiseled tuff blocks.

New Crafter and Trial Spawner block

Crafter and trial spawner block in Minecraft 1.21 update (Image via Mojang)

In addition to new block variants, two entirely new blocks have been confirmed in the Minecraft 1.21 update: the trial spawner and the crafter. The former, as previously noted, generates within trial chambers and creates mobs based on how many players are within the structure as well as the block types around it. However, the crafter has been gaining steam as a very exciting block to tinker with and use for automatic crafting.

When supplied with a redstone pulse, the crafter will take the materials within it and create items/blocks. Think of it as an automatic crafting table of sorts. The crafter has already become quite useful in several redstone contraptions and automatic crafting machines, though it takes a little time and effort to learn, its future certainly seems bright.

Reworked Bad Omen Effect and Ominous Events

An ominous trial taking place in a trial chamber in Minecraft 1.21 (Image via Mojang Studios)

Minecraft 1.21 has reworked the mechanics of the Bad Omen status effect to give it additional capabilities. The effect is now activated when players consume a new ominous bottle item which can be found in trial chamber vaults and by killing pillager raid captains outside of a raid. Once Bad Omen is active, it can transform into two different ominous events depending on the generated structure a player enters.

If players enter a village, Bad Omen will trigger a raid omen, activating a pillager raid like the original Bad Omen mechanics did. However, if players enter a trial chamber, this will trigger a trial omen, which converts the trial spawner and vault blocks in the chamber into ominous variants. This increases the overall challenge of the trial chamber but allows players to reap better rewards from vaults upon their success.

Heavy core block

Heavy Core is a brand new block coming in the Minecraft 1.21 update. This is a rare drop reward in ominous vaults with a meager 7.5% drop rate. Players might have to undertake multiple ominous challenges to obtain a Heavy Core block. Once obtained, the Heavy Core block can be used to craft a brand new weapon called the Mace.

New Weapon - The Mace

The mace is a new and devastating melee weapon in Minecraft 1.21 (Image via Mojang Studios)

By combining heavy cores found in ominous trial vaults with breeze rods dropped by breezes, players can craft the mace in Minecraft, a new unique melee weapon in 1.21 update. While the weapon deals fairly average damage when swung around on the ground, the weapon shines when players use it for aerial assaults. Thanks to its smash attack, the mace accumulates damage output as players accumulate fall damage, which provides the potential to one-hit kill targets.

Moreover, this new weapon can be enchanted with a wide variety of mace enchantments. It also possesses three unique enchantments including Density (which increases damage accumulated as players fall), Breach (reduces the effectiveness of armor on targets), and Wind Burst (simulates the effect of a wind charge when players land a successful falling attack, allowing them to bounce back up into the air and land additional blows).

Four New Status Effects

Minecraft 1.21 has introduced four new status effects, complete with the ability to be brewed into new potions and crafted into tipped arrows. As such, these effects can be applied to players and mobs alike, and they have a wide range of different applications. The new effects include:

Infestation - Upon being harmed, an entity afflicted with Infestation has a 5% chance to spawn 1-2 silverfish.
Oozing - Upon death, an entity with the Oozing status effect will spawn two slimes.
Weaving - Upon death, an entity afflicted with Weaving will spawn cobweb blocks. Non-player entities are capable of moving through these cobwebs at normal speed.
Wind Charged - Upon death, an entity with the Wind Charged effect will emit a burst of air as if a wind charge was detonated.

Trial Chamber Maps

These new explorer maps can help players find trial chambers in Minecraft 1.21 (Image via Mojang)

Keeping in tandem with many of Minecraft’s generated structures, the Tricky Trials update is introducing explorer maps that reveal the location of nearby trial chambers. They can be obtained by trading with journeyman-level cartographer villagers. Players who are familiar with other explorer maps won’t find any surprises with trial chamber maps, but if they can’t use commands to find these new structures, these maps will get the job done.

Three New Pottery Sherds, Two New Armor Trims, and more

New archeological goodies are also arriving on the heels of Minecraft 1.21 (Image via Mojang)

The introduction of archeology and armor trims in recent Minecraft updates has led to the Tricky Trials update introducing a few new goodies as well. Players who loot decorated pots in trial chambers can now find three new pottery sherd types: Flow, Guster, and Scrape. Meanwhile, looting trial chamber vaults can provide players with smithing templates for two new armor trims: the Flow and Bolt patterns.

In addition to these customization options, two new banner patterns have also been introduced as part of looting trial chamber vaults: Guster and Flow, which resemble the pottery sherd patterns but can be dyed in different colors like most banner patterns.

Hopefully, these new finds will broaden the customization players can utilize when crafting decorated pots or trimming their armor to find the perfect design they’re aiming for.

Check out our other related Minecraft guides:

Minecraft Armadillo guide || Minecraft Trial Chambers guide || Minecraft Breeze guide || Minecraft Trial Key guide

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