Version types

There are various types of versions of Minecraft.

There are a multitude of variations of how Minecraft names its various types of versions. See Version formats for more information.

Release versions[edit | edit source]

A release version is an update to the game that is fully released to all players on the main release channel. Release versions typically have a varying number of development versions.

Named updates[edit | edit source]

Since Java Edition 1.4.2, the "Pretty Scary Update", all major updates to the game (on both Java and Bedrock editions) have had an associated update name. Before 1.4.2, only substantial updates received version names: the Alpha Halloween Update and the Adventure Updates.

Game Drops[edit | edit source]

With the release of Java Edition 1.20.5 and Bedrock Edition 1.20.80, Mojang Studios introduced the concept of a "game drop"^[1] (or simply "drop"^[2]) which is a minor update with a substantial amount of content. Java Edition 1.20.3 and Bedrock Edition 1.20.50 were additionally retroactively classified as game drops.

Seecret Updates[edit | edit source]

The Seecret Updates were a series of ten updates released by Notch during the Infdev and Alpha development stages of Minecraft, often without announcement. They were named after the day of the week on which they were released.

Holiday Updates[edit | edit source]

The April Fools' Day jokes updates, Launcher Helloween event and Christmas texture update

Development versions[edit | edit source]

A development version is a version of the game which is publicly released with the intent of testing new features, changes and bug fixes that are to make their way into the full release of a major or minor update. They are experimental (some types more so than others) and may break the game.

Java Edition[edit | edit source]

Snapshots[edit | edit source]

A "snapshot" is a term used to describe unstable development versions for Java Edition updates. Every major update, and many minor updates, have snapshots released roughly weekly for player feedback on in-development features and changes.

Snapshots use a unique naming format. The first number is the two-digit year, the second number is the two-digit week number, and the last letter increments alphabetically for each snapshot release within a week.

The first ever snapshot was 11w47a for 1.1 in 2011.

Experimental snapshots[edit | edit source]

"Experimental snapshots" are a specific type of snapshot Mojang uses very early in the development cycle, before the standard snapshot cycle of development. These versions include even more unstable changes than standard snapshots have.

Experimental snapshots were first used for 1.18, with 1.18 Experimental Snapshot 1, and since 1.18 they have only been used once for 1.19. This type of snapshot is seemingly obsolete since Mojang now includes Experiments in standard snapshots.

Pre-releases[edit | edit source]

A pre-release is a more stable development version of the game than a snapshot. Once development reaches the pre-release phase, the update is deemed feature complete, and subsequent pre-releases focus on fixing bugs and improving the stability of the features to be added in that update. The final pre-release may be functionally identical to the full release (for instance 1.4.7).

Pre-releases were first used for development of Java Edition Beta 1.8, with the first ever pre-release being Beta 1.8 Pre-release. At this time, snapshots did not exist yet, so this pre-release was the first development version for Beta 1.8.

Release candidates[edit | edit source]

A release candidate is a development version of the game that is intended to be the last version before the full release, unless a major game-breaking bug is discovered.^[3] Often, the full release of a version is identical to its last release candidate, differing only in the version name string.

The first release candidate was RC1 for 1.0.0 in 2011. After 1.0.0, there were no release candidates until 1.16 Release Candidate 1 in 2020.

Previews[edit | edit source]

A preview was a development version of the game, privately given to Hat Films for the creation of the official update trailer. These previews were released for Beta 1.6, Beta 1.7 and Beta 1.8.

Test Build[edit | edit source]

A test build was a development version of the game. The only ever-released Test Build was Beta 1.6 Test Build 3.

Pocket Edition[edit | edit source]

Builds and alphas[edit | edit source]

Builds were development versions used in Pocket Edition, available on Android. Once the Pocket Edition Alpha phase was complete, the name "alpha" was then reserved for development versions for Pocket Edition 1.0.0 and 1.1.0.

Bedrock Edition[edit | edit source]

Betas and previews[edit | edit source]

Development versions in Bedrock Edition are known as betas and Previews.

Since the release of the Better Together Update to Bedrock Edition, development builds subsequently took the form of "beta" builds, released for Android, Xbox and Windows 10.

Once development versions became available on Apple platforms, development builds were now known as Previews on those devices, while retaining the name of "beta" on Android.

Usually, betas/Previews are released on Wednesday or Thursday.

Developer versions[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Navigation[edit | edit source]