The latest Minecraft update just dropped with six new mobs and lots of new plants, and another update is coming later this year

The latest Minecraft Live event came and went to shed light on the near future for the Minecraft universe, and that of course means content updates for the titular game.

Similar to the last Minecraft Live in Sept. 2024, Mojang Studios shared details on the next two game drops, or smaller themed updates heading to Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft: Bedrock Edition in the coming months.

• RELATED: Minecraft Vibrant Visuals upgrade: Side-by-side comparisons and everything you need to know

The latest release is dubbed "Spring to Life," and it aims to help the Overworld feel more diverse and alive. By "latest," I mean that the update has already dropped — just three days after it was announced.

There's another game drop heading to Minecraft players later this year, too; it won't be quite as lively, but it'll be more lifting.

What does the "Spring to Life" Minecraft update include?

Spring to Life | Official Minecraft Trailer - YouTube

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First, we have the newest update for Minecraft, the "Spring to Life" game drop. This update builds on the theme we've noticed in recent Minecraft snapshots and Minecraft Preview builds with greater diversity in the world.

Even better, the update is already here as of Mar. 25, 2025, releasing for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and Java Edition on all platforms.

You'll find what the game drop includes below, split into three broad categories. If you want to really dive into the details, including individual bug fixes and technical updates, you can find the full changelog at Minecraft.net.

• New mob variants. First, the teaser we saw in the Minecraft Live announcement trailer (along with our own speculation) came true, as the Spring to Life update is all about greater diversity in the Overworld ecosystem.
  • Cows, pigs, and chickens are getting two new regional variants for warm and cold biomes
  • Sheep aren't getting regional variants, but Mojang has tweaked the chances of specific colors spawning in warm, temperate, and cold biomes
  • This builds on the work Mojang started when it updated Minecraft with seven new wolf regional variants
  • Speaking of, wolves are also getting new personalities alongside a total redesign of Minecraft's spawn eggs as a part of this update
• New ambient features. More subtle than new mob variants, Minecraft's Overworld just got some new ambient features to make environments feel more lively.
  • Some of this we've already seen in previews, like decorative leaf litter piles on the ground near trees, falling leaves from trees, and updated ambient sounds in the desert and badlands biomes
  • However, we also got a new decorative plant with firefly bushes, which seem to be Mojang's answer to removing fireflies from the Minecraft "Wild Update" that featured frogs
  • There are plenty of other subtle additions, too, including tiny wildflowers, bushes, two new varieties of grass, and cactus flowers
• Other updates. Not content with the above, there are some other mild updates featured in "Spring to Life," including:
  • Cartographer villagers now offer new maps, leading players to villages in different biomes
  • Wandering traders now buy and sell more items, and prices in general are lower
  • Lodestones are easier to craft, and placing a compass on a Lodestone will always lead players home
  • You can now earn achievements while some Minecraft: Bedrock Edition Add-ons are enabled, so you don't have to stick with pure vanilla Minecraft anymore
  • You can now fully pause the game when you're playing by yourself

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This isn't the most ambitious game update, but there are a ton of refinements and quality-of-life improvements in this update that should make it a worthwhile release for even the most hardcore Minecraft players.

What Minecraft update is coming after Spring to Life?

Minecraft LIVE – March 2025: DRIED GHAST, GHASTLING & HAPPY GHAST - YouTube

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Mojang didn't go so far as to give us a release date or even a name, but we do have the first details for the game drop arriving shortly after Spring to Life. This update will be less colorful and friendly, though, as it's taking us back to the Nether and giving us some interesting updates to an infamous mob.

Here's what we do know will be in this update:

• Two new Ghast variants. Minecraft's screaming cat ghost, also known as a Ghast, is getting two new variants!
  • We're getting the Ghastling, which you can find by bringing a Dried Ghast block into the Overworld and soaking it in water
  • There's also the Happy Ghast, which is a Ghastling that's fed lots of snow until it grows up
• More Ghast-related additions. On top of the new variants, we're getting two new Ghast-related items.
  • There's the Dried Ghast block, or preserved Ghastlings that you can find in the Nether
  • Then there's the Ghast Harness, which allows you and up to three of your friends to ride your Happy Ghast

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This update is understandably shrouded in more mystery than Spring to Life given that it's further out. What we've seen looks great, though, and I'm curious to see if we'll get any more features or changes in this release. This update isn't named yet, and should arrive later this year.

More modest updates for the world's biggest game

I'm torn on how I feel about Minecraft's new approach to updates. On one hand, Mojang committing to more transparent and frequent communication does wonders for setting reasonable expectations and avoiding disappointment when distant promises aren't met or are altered.

It's also great to see Minecraft more regularly get injections of additional content or noticeable improvements, rather than waiting many months for a single major release.

On the other hand, though, every game drop we've seen so far has been quite modest in scope, and there's been no hint that Mojang is also working on major, all-encompassing updates to Minecraft for the future.

• RELATED: Everything announced during Minecraft Live (Mar. 2025)

I'd feel much better about the adorable Spring to Life and the mysterious Ghast-related game drops if I also knew that these smaller updates were being released alongside development for bigger plans, but we simply don't know at this point.

Well, that's not entirely true. Mojang also unveiled the "Vibrant Visuals" update, the graphical upgrade Minecraft players have been requesting for years. That's arriving in the coming months, and it looks amazing. I provide side-by-side comparisons and answer all your burning questions in my full Minecraft "Vibrant Visuals" breakdown.

Either way, I've no complaints about the actual content we've seen from these game drops — it's all good stuff that I'm excited to see in the game. Having the "Spring to Life" game drop arrive so quickly is awesome, too, and it should go a long way toward making the Overworld feel more varied.

Of course, I'm also very excited to be able to tame and ride a Ghast of my own.