Best features in Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update

Chase the Skies, the much-awaited Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update is here, and this second game drop for 2025 introduces an array of features. Apart from the new mobs, such as the Happy Ghast, and overhauls to items like leads, the update also makes an array of enhancements to existing mechanics to improve the gameplay experience.

That said, here are the best features in Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update.

Happy ghasts and other best features in Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update

1) Happy ghast

Happy ghasts are one of the biggest highlights of the Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

The Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update introduces the much-awaited happy ghast, a new variant of the ghast. Players will be able to rescue the baby dried ghast and submerge it in water to get the ghastling. This mob can then be fed snowballs to get the adult happy ghast variant. Once obtained, it paves the way for near-limitless gameplay opportunities.

The happy ghast can then be tamed using a harness, allowing players and up to four teammates to travel together. This makes it a revolutionary way to travel and explore the overworld without getting lost, especially in multiplayer worlds. Additionally, the mob will allow players to reach new heights and build massive sky builds and air bases without the risk of falling or the need to use temporary blocks.

2) Overhaul to leads

Multiple mobs can now be leashed together as part of the Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update (Image via Mojang Studios)

Leads are one of the most useful items in the game, allowing players to steer mobs or tie them to areas like fences. The Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update brings in some major changes to the leads, making them more functional and accessible than ever.

As part of the Chase the Skies game drop, gamers will be able to leash multiple mobs, allowing them to transport different or the same types using a single lead or by connecting multiple leads in a chain. Additionally, the new recipe with strings eliminates the need for slime, making it easier to craft this nifty item.

The update to the leash mechanics will also allow them to leash and bind the happy ghast or even attach a boat to it using leads, making it a seamless way to transport items like boats as well as mobs such as villagers and Iron Golems. The drop has also made it easier to bind and remove leads from fences and posts using shears.

Also read: Happy ghasts could be the missing key to a future Minecraft dimension update

3) Player locator bar

The player locator bar is one of the most significant features of the Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update (Image via Mojang Studios)

The player locator bar is one of the most revolutionary gameplay mechanics added in the Minecraft Chase the Skies update. It introduces a versatile locator bar to the existing HUD, offering gamers an intuitive way to locate their teammates and friends in worlds with multiple people, like online servers and Realms.

When multiple players join the world, the locator bar will replace the XP bar. The bar will contain a colored marker for each person present in that session, making it a nifty way to locate teammates or reach their positions in the world. The markers are dynamic, denoting their relative altitude with arrows, thereby allowing gamers to know if their friends are above or below them.

Additionally, players can hide from the locator bar in the Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update using carved pumpkins or mob heads, as well as by using the potion of invisibility, making it a great way to hide from others in SMP servers or hide-and-seek games. Gamers can also modify the colors of these indicators using commands, making it a fun way to allot color codes to fellow teammates.

4) New fog mechanics

The Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update introduces an immersive fog mechanic (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

The Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update also introduces a major overhaul to the environment, revamping the fog mechanics. The in-game fog has been reworked for improved atmospheric feel, making it foggier when it rains. Additionally, major overhauls have been made to the shader fog system, aligning seamlessly till Mojang makes Vibrant Visuals available on this edition of the game.

As part of the rework to the mechanics, the fog has now been split into environmental and render-distance-based for improved accuracy. Environmental fog essentially represents the "fogginess" of the environment, while the render distance fog controls the obscuring of the border of visible terrain.

This new mechanism makes fog look more realistic and beautiful, adding a much-needed atmospheric overhaul. Additionally, fog is now applied to 3D HUD elements such as first-person player hands and items in hands, making it lifelike and immersive.

Also read: Instead of Vibrant Visuals, Minecraft Java is getting a different visual upgrade in the Chase the Skies update

5) Realms rework

Realms has received an array of new features in the Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update (Image via Mojang Studios)

Realms have received a major overhaul in the Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update, with the layout of the configuration screen being modified to use tabs, making it more intuitive. The Worlds tab allows players to modify any of the world slots, creating new worlds and changing their settings.

Meanwhile, the Players tab allows the seamless management of the players who have access and regulates their level of access to the Realm. On the other hand, the Subscription tab allows management of the Realms subscription, while the Settings tab allows changing the settings of the Realm.

The Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update also introduced a region preference setting that allows for more granular control over what region a Realm is hosted in. This is great for players facing latency issues, allowing them to switch to a server closer to home.

6) Saddle overhaul

The Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update introduces a major overhaul to saddles (Image via Mojang Studios)

The Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update also brings some much-needed overhauls to the saddles, the versatile items that allow players to tame and ride mobs. As part of the Chase the Skies game drop, players will now be able to craft this nifty item, making it significantly easier to obtain rather than discovering it in chests or purchasing it through trade with mobs.

Additionally, the Minecraft Java 1.21.6 update now allows saddles, horse armor, and carpets to be removed from the mobs they can be equipped on with shears. To align with their new crafting ability, saddles have been removed from loot pools of chests such as monster room chests, ancient city chests, and others, containing 1-5 leather instead.

Also read: 5 best Minecraft food mods to curb your hunger

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Edited by Sayendra Basu