Update Chronicle ③ Rebuilding the Ocean, Villages, and the Nether (2015-2020)

If the second chapter was a time of 'increasing things to do', then 2015-2020 was a time of rebuilding what already existed. They changed the combat system, filled the empty oceans, revitalized villages, and completely revamped the Nether, which had remained unchanged for a decade. During this time, Minecraft became a game that could be played across multiple devices.

1.9 'Combat Update' (2016) — Shields and Elytra

The 1.9 'Combat Update', released on February 29, 2016, is considered one of the most controversial updates in Minecraft's history. It introduced an attack cooldown where you had to wait for your weapon to recharge after swinging, the offhand for holding items in your left hand, and shields. This was a completely different combat style from the previous PvP, leading to the culture of 'PvP is 1.8' that was mentioned in the last chapter.

The same update also expanded the End. After defeating the dragon, players could access outer islands where End Cities and Shulkers appeared, allowing them to obtain Elytra. This marked the beginning of 'flying in Survival' in Minecraft.

1.10~1.12 (2016-2017) — Mansions, Shulker Boxes, and the World of Color

• 1.10 'Frostburn', June 2016 — Polar bears, husks, strays, magma blocks, and structure blocks for map makers.
• 1.11 'Exploration Update', November 2016 — Woodland Mansions and explorer maps to find them, vindicators and evokers, the Totem of Undying that prevents death once, and the portable storage Shulker Boxes.
• 1.12 'World of Color', June 2017 — Concrete and glazed terracotta, parrots, and the current advancements and recipe books.

Concrete and glazed terracotta greatly expanded the palette for builders. The clean color surfaces commonly seen in server spawns or city builds mostly came after 1.12.

2017 — Unified Minecraft, Bedrock Edition

Around this time, Minecraft was running separately on PCs, mobile phones, consoles, and tablets. In the fall of 2017, the 'Better Together Update' merged the mobile, Windows 10, and console versions into a single codebase, creating the Bedrock Edition. Now players could enjoy the same world across different devices. From this point on, Minecraft would be updated in parallel for both 'Java Edition' and 'Bedrock Edition'.

1.13 'Ocean Update' (2018) — Filling the Empty Ocean

2018년 7월 18일의 1.13 '바다 업데이트(Update Aquatic)' 전까지 마인크래프트의 바다는 물과 오징어뿐이었다. 1.13은 그 바다에 산호초, 열대어와 돌고래, 거북, 해초, 난파선과 수중 폐허, 그리고 물에 빠진 좀비 드라운드와 삼지창을 채웠다. 잠을 자지 않으면 나타나는 팬텀도 이때 왔다.

The changes that weren't visible on the surface were even bigger. The so-called 'Flattening' reorganized block names and data structures, significantly changing command syntax, and introduced data packs that allowed players to change game rules and recipes without mods. The current culture of data packs and server creation started with this version. This is why the period between 1.12 and 1.13 is referred to as the 'great wall' among server operators.

1.14~1.15 (2019) — Villages, Raids, and Bees

The 1.14 'Village & Pillage' update on April 23, 2019, completely rebuilt villages. It introduced different architectural styles for each biome, villager professions determined by job blocks, and pillagers and raids targeting villages, along with the massive ravager. Foxes, pandas, bamboo, and scaffolding were also added.

In December of the same year, the 1.15 'Buzzy Bees' update was small but beloved. It added bees, beehives, honey, and honey blocks, with honey blocks quickly becoming a new component in redstone devices.

1.16 'Nether Update' (2020) — The Nether Reborn After 10 Years

The 1.16 'Nether Update', released on June 23, 2020, was the first major change to the Nether since its introduction in 2010. New biomes like the crimson forest, warped forest, soul sand valley, and basalt deltas were added, along with piglins and hoglins that love gold, and striders that walk on lava.

Most importantly, netherite, stronger than diamond, was introduced. Searching for ancient debris in the Nether remains a key late-game goal in Survival. In May of the same year, the spin-off Minecraft Dungeons was released, which showcased the new dimension 'Shift' for the first time in its sequel released in September 2026.

Summary

In the final episode, it covers everything from the 'Caves and Cliffs' update that completely changed the underground and mountains, to the era of game drops that happen several times a year, and even a new dimension coming in 2027.