Top 5 updates that shaped Minecraft's success

Dating back to its beta release in 2010, Minecraft has come a long way. Free updates released at regular intervals have seen the game become one of the most popular in history, and it has sported a longevity that most games can't remotely compare to.

Throughout Minecraft's history, regular and immaculate updates have played an integral part in taking the game to the point where it is almost unrecognizable from its original iteration in many ways. However, some of the updates featured in the game were more impactful and pivotal to its success than others. While nearly every player has their favorite updates, some are a huge part of Minecraft's continued popularity.

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1.5- The Redstone and 4 other most impactful updates to Minecraft's Success

5) 1.13 - Update Aquatic

Update Aquatic revamped the vast seas of Minecraft worlds (Image via Mojang)

There was plenty of trepidation when Microsoft purchased Mojang Studios in 2014, and many players were worried that the game's direction would be negatively affected. However, the 1.13 Update Aquatic put many of those doubts to bed. Version 1.13 introduced many new mobs, structures, blocks, and items. The oceans of in-game worlds became a place players loved to explore much more thoroughly.

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4) 1.17 - Caves & Cliffs Part I

Caves & Cliffs' two-part update reshaped Minecraft's terrain forever (Image via Mojang)

While one of the best aspects of Minecraft has always been its terrain generation algorithms, the two-part Caves & Cliffs update redefined much of the in-game terrain to be even more enjoyable. Caves were revamped to be more unique and vast, and the first part of the update added great content like copper, deepslate blocks, moss, tuff, lush caves, and even the adorable axolotl mobs. Caves & Cliffs Part I also added a big bevy of other blocks, vastly improving building possibilities.

While the Caves & Cliffs Part II update was remarkable, the first part of the update set the foundation.

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3) 1.5 - The Redstone Update

Redstone was never the same after update 1.5 (Image via Mojang)

Redstone was undoubtedly beneficial in Minecraft's early days, but this update helped balloon the potential of redstone circuitry and machinery. Before fans knew it, masterful redstone engineers created modern marvels in the world's beloved sandbox game. Some of the machines and computers players can create are immensely complex and awe-inspiring, which can be directly traced back to update 1.5.

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2) 1.16 - The Nether Update

The Nether Update remains one of the most popular additions of all time (Image via Mojang)

The burning dimension of the Nether has always been an attraction for fans, and update 1.16 made the allure even stronger. New biomes, structures, and mobs were introduced to the Nether, and old debris was also introduced, resulting in a more robust material than diamond. The Nether was interesting to explore before, but update 1.16 made it one of the most appealing locations in the game, even for gamers who hadn't touched Minecraft before.

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1) 1.14 - Village and Pillage

Village and Pillage revised so much about what made modern Minecraft appealing (Image via Mojang)

Villages were monumental when they debuted, but the Village & Pillage Update revitalized them while adding a ton of impactful content that can still be seen in every facet of the game today. Villages became more biome-specific, villager models were more varied, and trading became a much more beneficial factor in Survival Mode. Many items that were once considered quite challenging to obtain were made much more easily accessible, increasing the ways to farm specific items and broadening gameplay overall, even for longtime veterans.

Village and Pillage also added beneficial blocks like campfires, blast furnaces, scaffolding, and several job blocks for villagers that are just as helpful for players. Dyes and banner patterns improved decoration, and pillager raids were an excellent way to collect Totems of Undying and practice a player's combat skills.