What was the Minecraft texture update?

Minecraft has been out for over 15 years, but it still remains largely popular. One of the reasons for this is its constant updates that keep things fresh. These range from major ones, such as Caves & Cliffs, to smaller ones that tweak gameplay mechanics. One significant change was through the texture update that was released in 2019.

The Minecraft texture update tweaked the appearance of almost every block in the title. While the changes are not immediately noticeable, they improve the overall gameplay experience. Here's everything there is to know about the update.

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How the Minecraft texture update changed the game

Textures were made smoother for some blocks, such as ice (Image via Mojang Studios)

The texture update was introduced to make the game look more modern. It was developed by Jasper Boerstra, also known as “Jappa,” who is the game art director for Minecraft. The new textures replaced the old set named “Programmer Art.” They were first released for the Java Edition and then for the Bedrock Edition.

While the update focused on most blocks, items, and mobs in the game, the creeper mob retained its original texture. The textures of both the trapped chest and the normal chest were also not changed.

Looking at the blocks that underwent major texture changes, it is clear that the developers aimed to improve overall contrast, make patterns larger, and reduce the finer details in many cases. For example, the ice block used to have white streaks all across its surface. The updated texture blurred the streaks to make the block look more uniform.

The contrast was also improved for better visibility (Image via Mojang Studios)

The same approach can be seen with blocks such as prismarine, sponge, snow, sand, and soul sand. Apart from this, the color contrast was tweaked for many blocks to improve visibility.

But not everything was simplified. The monster spawner block texture received more detail, while the wheat plant also changed significantly in terms of color. Some of the biggest changes were made to items such as the totem of undying, cauldron, saddle, and brewing stand.

Mob textures in Minecraft were also improved, but the differences were minimal, except for a few, such as skeletons and zombie horses.

One good thing about this change is that players still have the option to disable the Jappa textures and revert to the old “Programmer Art” set, now titled “Classic Textures.” Many gamers prefer the old style as it retains the classic look of the blocky world.