What to do first in the Minecraft Chase the Skies update

Minecraft recently received a new game drop called Chase the Skies. This might be considered a game drop, but it packs loads of game-changing features like happy ghasts, craftable saddles, Vibrant Visuals, etc. Players can now download and install the new update either from their device's app store or from Minecraft's official game launcher. It is now available for both Java and Bedrock Editions.

After installing the Chase the Skies game drop, here are some of the activities players can enjoy to experience various new features.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion. Players can, by all means, start by exploring any other feature they like in the update.

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New features to check out in the Minecraft Chase the Skies game drop

Find or craft dried ghast blocks to get happy ghasts

Dried ghasts can either be found or crafted to get happy ghasts (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

Dried ghast is a new block that was released with the Chase the Skies update. It naturally generates near Soul Sand Valley fossils and can also be crafted using eight ghast tears and one soul sand block.

Hence, when players update to the Chase the Skies game drop and enter a world, they can head over to the Nether to either find the dried ghast block in Soul Sand Valley biomes, or kill enough Nether ghasts to get eight ghast tears and then one soul sand block to craft the block.

Once a dried ghast block is crafted, it can be submerged in water to grow into a ghastling in 20 minutes. The ghastling will take another 20 minutes to grow into a happy ghast, unless its growth is sped up by feeding it snowballs.

Players can then fly on the happy ghast after crafting and placing a harness on the new mob.

Craft and use saddles and leads

Saddles and leads can now be crafted more easily (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

In the Chase the Skies update, Mojang finally made saddles craftable. This means that players can easily make one and get on a horse to explore the world much quickly. Hence, it is great news for players who are starting a brand new world, since exploration will be massively easier for them.

Lead has also been a difficult item to obtain in Minecraft. Its crafting recipe required a slime ball, which is a rare item to get early in the game. In this game drop, Mojang replaced the slime ball with another string. Lead now requires five strings to be crafted, which is a lot simpler for new players.

Check out Vibrant Visuals (BE only)

Vibrant Visuals is the new graphics overhaul for Minecraft Bedrock Edition (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

Mojang's first graphic upgrade feature, Vibrant Visuals, debuted with the Chase the Skies game drop in Bedrock Edition.

Mojang created Vibrant Visuals with their new graphics engine, Render Dragon. New emissive textures, screen space reflections, specular highlights on block textures, directional lighting and shadows, and much more are all brought about by this visual feature.

Hence, even those who exclusively play Java Edition should try out the Vibrant Visuals in Bedrock Edition and witness Mojang's vision of the future for the sandbox title.

The Vibrant Visuals settings can be turned on by opening Bedrock Edition's latest 1.21.90 version, heading to video settings, and switching the "Graphics Mode" settings at the bottom of the page.

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About the author

Akshat has been a Minecraft writer at Sportskeeda for almost three years. He has loved gaming since childhood, and the fact that Need For Speed Most Wanted is still installed on his PC is proof that the flame burns strong even today. This love for the racing franchise spilled over to F1 fandom, leading him to cover the sport as well for the company.

Akshat's articles have accrued over 19 million views so far at Sportskeeda. He prefers both solo and multiplayer titles and is a huge admirer of popular gamers Shroud and Philza. Akshat places huge emphasis on accurate, relevant, and ethical content, and does thorough research using social media, videos, and a multitude of websites before writing an article.

Akshat's other hobbies include cars, mechanical keyboards, psychology, and philosophy. He would recommend indie and Slice of Life games to a gaming skeptic because of their ease of play, compelling storyline, and message.

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Edited by Akshat Kabra