Minecraft 1.20 release candidate 1: Patch notes, how to download, and more

Minecraft's first release candidate is now out for fans and enthusiasts. This is the final stage before a significant update. Mojang begins with snapshots, betas, and previews and then transitions into the following steps: pre-releases (which have been out for a while) and release candidates. This is the first, and only a few days remain before the update, so this is the finishing touch for 1.20.

It's not a massive update but contains bug fixes, which may improve the user experience. Here's what it entails, how to download it and get involved.

Minecraft 1.20 release candidate 1 is here

The latest change to the game's code is minimal. It only includes two bug fixes that were bothering players. They have now been remedied:

Knowledge books can again be placed on chiseled bookshelves as they were always supposed to.
The pitcher plant no longer breaks and floats when growing without enough light.

If you see any bugs persisting on the release candidate, check the Mojang website and offer feedback so they can potentially fix it before the final release of 1.20 next Wednesday.

The Java Team said this on their website:

"We are now releasing the first, and hopefully only, release-candidate for 1.20, containing two bug fixes. If all goes well, no further changes will be made before the full release of Minecraft 1.20 on Wednesday next week."

This could be the last release candidate for the Trails & Tales update. With it arriving in one week, there's reason for the community to get excited.

Minecraft Trails & Tales is coming (Image via Mojang)

Here's how Minecraft Java Edition gamers can get involved with the latest update:

Open the Minecraft Launcher on your PC.
Head over to the Installations tab.
Click to enable Snapshots. This is where you could allow the latest snapshot if those were still being sent out. Since they're done with that stage, the latest "snapshot" is the latest release candidate.
Go back to the Play tab on the Launcher.
Select to start a new world and play from there.

Remember that these are not official, final versions of the game. Therefore, they can contain issues. The developing team works to remove all of these, but it's impossible to prevent all problems. Back up worlds, you don't want to lose if they become corrupted due to the release candidate.

Unfortunately, there's no equivalent for Bedrock. Gamers using that version of the game will be unable to download the release candidate. Bedrock users (Windows 10, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation) must be patient until the update comes out on all platforms.