Mojang

Cobalt updated with new languages, new controls and a map-making challenge!

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 09:50:00 +0000

Hello blue faces!

As you probably know, we’re working with the fine gentlemen at Oxeye Game Studio on Cobalt. They’re a super small sweet team of 2.2 people (it’s Daniel, Pontus and our Jens) and they’ve been listening to you guys and updated the game accordingly. Thanks to your feedback the game is still very much evolving! If there’s something you’d like to say to the devs they’re on twitter (linked above), Steam Community and at cobaltvault.no

What’s new in Cobalt?

First thing first, a nasty bug affecting online play on the Xbox One has been found and fixed. A patch will be rolled out very soon, and it includes a whole bunch of other improvements as well. You can see all Steam update news here: http://steamcommunity.com/games/357340/announcements/ In the list you’ll see A LOT OF THINGS being tweaked and fixed. For instance, you can now play the game in Spanish, German, Italian or even French! You can also use various branded gamepads and if you’re not used to the old school arrow key movement, you can also map your keys to WASD + mouse keys.

Another frequently requested feature was the ability to chat in online play. That has been added as well :)

The map-making challenge - get a cape!

What? A cape?! That’s right! In Cobalt on Steam, the game is bundled with a map editor where you can create your own levels and adventures. The community members (hello Isogash and Janeator!) have created some awesome guides on how to use it. The reason why I’m writing about the map editor and challenge is because if you’re chosen among the winners you’ll can get a Minecraft Cape! We think that’s pretty awesome and we really look forward to all the creative things you will be doing. To read about the challenge details, please go here.

Cobalt is available on Steam and Xbox One! It costs $19.99 (or local equivalent).

Thanks for reading

Kappe - @kappische

Minecraft 0.14.0 is out! Skin Pack, livestream and more!

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 14:00:00 +0000

Hey hey!

We’re happy to let you know that the first update of the year for Minecraft: Pocket Edition and Windows 10 Beta Edition is now out! So what cool things are there? Let’s take a closer look!

Like previously talked about we got some nice additions for you Redstone builders and adventurers. Repeaters, maps and item frames among other things will help you in your building adventure and assist you making greater things, but be aware of the witches that may lure you into wrong paths…

We got a new skin pack out as well! Since we want you to build great things, we also want you to look great while doing so. These Redstone Specialists skins are inspired by the builds we’ve seen you create and I think they look great. We hope you’ll like them as well. The Artisan and Composer are free and if you’d like to buy the whole 15 skins it costs $1.99 (or equivalent).

With all these awesome things, we’re also inviting you to our livestream we’re having later today at 10 a.m PST (I think that is 19.00 here in Sweden). You will see the Minecraft developers Tommo, Daniel, Shoghi and Jason competing on a tricky Redstone puzzle map, made with today’s update. You’ll be able to catch the livestream on our YouTube and Twitch channels. Make sure you’re nice to the guys. The puzzles are supposed to make you think, so it can take a while for them to figure things out. If you’re up to the challenge you can download the map they’re going to play here (and mirror here: redstone_puzzle_map.zip)

So yeah, that’s it for now! In case you’re wondering where to get this electrifying game you can grab it on iOS App Store, Google Play, Amazon and the Windows Store.

Thanks for reading and have fun! :)

Kappe - @kappische

Minecraft 1.9 Pre-Release 2

Wed, 17 Feb 2016 13:07:00 +0000

UPDATE: Minecraft 1.9 Pre-Release 2 is now available.

It is time to stop waiting and start playing. A pre-release of Minecraft 1.9 is now available. We are very excited to enter the final stage before the new version is released.

First the answer to the most asked question: We are currently planning to release the final version of Minecraft 1.9 next week, on Thursday, 25th of February 2016.

And now to the usual release notes. Once we release the final Minecraft 1.9 update, we will also provide a complete list of changes between Minecraft 1.8 and Minecraft 1.9.

Bugs fixed in 1.9-pre2:

[Bug MC-35127] - Wrong NBT TAG Type for fallTime in FallingSand Entities
[Bug MC-35714] - Sounds loop/restart when exiting screens
[Bug MC-89928] - Portals not placing the player at correct coordinates
[Bug MC-90101] - Mob Spawner is overwriting (ignoring?) Pos[x,y,z] data of entity
[Bug MC-91290] - Skeletons with no AI spawning naturally
[Bug MC-95538] - /playsound command doesn’t work with selectors not resolving to exactly one entity

Notable changes:

Bugs fixed
Increased durability of shields
Some crystals in the end are protected by cages again
Added 34.7% more hype for Minecraft 1.9

Bugs fixed:

[Bug MC-96863] - Marker ArmorStand Should Not Have Passenger Offset
[Bug MC-97217] - Weird placement of player while riding an entity after swimming with elytra
[Bug MC-97235] - Resource pack in minecraft world save file not working
[Bug MC-97251] - Rail Duplication Glitch

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com. If nobody reports a bug, we can’t fix it!

To get snapshots (or, in this case, the pre-release), open your launcher and press the “New Profile” button. Call it “snapshots” and check the box saying “Enable experimental development snapshots” and save. To switch to the normal version, you can select it in the dropdown at the bottom left corner of the launcher. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (See the “new profile” dialog).

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds.

Cross-platform server jar:

Minecraft server jar

Report bugs here:

Minecraft issue tracker!

Bring Minecraft Into Your World With Mine Chest!

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:02:00 +0000

Hello!

When you play Minecraft, you never know what you’re going to find when you break past those next few blocks, and that feeling of anticipation can be quite exciting, yes?

Well, we wanted to bring that same sense of discovery and creativity, but with cool monthly shipments of Minecraft gear, exclusive items, and neat DIY crafting recipes! Introducing the new and improved, Mine Chest! Now you can subscribe for a monthly box of Minecraft goodness, even some items that you can’t mine anywhere else.

This brilliant chest travels around all different areas of the Minecraft world collecting wonderful things to be delivered straight to you!

Currently, only our US Minecrafters will be able to subscribe, but don’t worry, we are working on a grand plan to get these boxes of joy out to the world!

Mine Chest costs $29.99 per month. Read more about it, and get yours at www.minechest.com.

Have a great day!

Lydia - @lydiawinters

Minecraft snapshot 16w07b

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:08:00 +0000

UPDATE: Snapshot 16w07b is now available.

A snapshot on a Monday? How is that possible? We could just pretend it’s Wednesday, or explain what’s going on. So, here we go:

It’s actually Wednesday, so all is good…

…just kidding. It’s not Wednesday and here’s the real reason:

As we get closer to the first pre-release for Minecraft 1.9, we will release snapshots more frequently to get more feedback on our changes and bug fixes. In this phase of development all the bug reports and feedback on Reddit or via Twitter are helping us a lot to work on the right issues to get to a stable release.

Notable changes:

Bugs fixed
Removed the cages that were protecting the crystals during the dragon fight
Treat every day as if it’s Wednesday internally

Bugs fixed in 16w07b:

[Bug MC-2075] - Biome color change is abrupt
[Bug MC-16234] - Crash when you open a chested horse inventory
[Bug MC-55827] - Incomplete end portals can be activated.
[Bug MC-85101] - Cast fishing rod doesn’t show casted/predicate tag “cast” doesn’t work as intended
[Bug MC-85838] - Throwing a lingering potion close to a player centers it on the player
[Bug MC-92093] - cannot setblock aged frosted ice, but you can clone it
[Bug MC-94451] - Console Spam of vl@394114ec
[Bug MC-96583] - Riding entities down elevation deals damage on dismount
[Bug MC-96822] - Horses dismounting players/disappearing
[Bug MC-97207] - /achievement doesn’t work
[Bug MC-97225] - Subtitle mistakes / typos from 16w07a

Bugs fixed in this snapshot (16w07a, list updated):

[Bug MC-1935] - Fence gate next to a wall has an incorrect hitbox
[Bug MC-12427] - Mobs get stuck in the North-West corner of a fence
[Bug MC-14946] - Performance on horses is broken
[Bug MC-61535] - Horse breeding: Foal looks just like an adult horse
[Bug MC-61765] - tellraw/books (json-stuff) doesn’t work with @e[…] and displaying its score
[Bug MC-84095] - Ender Dragon destroys fireballs/Fireballs invisible
[Bug MC-85132] - Leaves are not culled in fast mode
[Bug MC-90591] - Elytra flight starts too early
[Bug MC-92103] - Infinite momentum with Elytra and Slime Blocks
[Bug MC-94438] - Massive Lag in any snapshots post-15w47c
[Bug MC-95352] - Spatial target arguments “r”, “dx”, “dy”, “dz” behave unexpectedly and inconsistently
[Bug MC-96815] - Horses do not jump!
[Bug MC-96821] - Mobs and other players no longer turn their heads / Head rotation for all entities is no longer updated

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com. If nobody reports a bug, we can’t fix it!

To get snapshots, open your launcher and press the “New Profile” button. Call it “snapshots” and check the box saying “Enable experimental development snapshots” and save. To switch to the normal version, you can select it in the dropdown at the bottom left corner of the launcher. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (See the “new profile” dialog).

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds.

Cross-platform server jar:

Minecraft server jar

Report bugs here:

Minecraft issue tracker!

Minecraft: Pocket Edition & Windows 10 Edition Beta out soon!

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 10:17:00 +0000

Hello cube heads! :)

I hope you’re as excited as we’re, because we’ve been really looking forward to this!

So let’s get to the juicy bits! Here’s the super awesome exciting change log! 0.14.0 is a bit focused on redstone pieces, but also other things.

Repeaters, comparators, dispensers, droppers, hoppers, trapped chests, minecraft with chest/tnt/hopper (pewh)
Witches! Make sure you’re avoiding the splash potions they’re throwing at you! They can make you move slower or even poison you. Spooky stuff!
Armour dying. Tired of the usual look? Why not try the other 10 000 000 colours? Put your pants in the cauldron together with a dye and enjoy the new design!
Item frames. Show off your adventurous loot or put up one of your maps to remember the endless journeys.
Pumpkin and mob head hats. I know it is a bit early for Halloween, but at least now you can prepare properly! :)
And numerous bugs has been squashed, and unfortunately some have probably been sneaking in as well.

Enjoy!

Kappe - @kappische

Minecraft snapshot 16w06a

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 15:10:00 +0000

Some bugs in the game are more annoying than others. So we decided to take care of some of the bugs that were good candidates for winning a “most popular bugs” contest. We are very sorry for closing tickets with a large fan base. These issues will be missed, but we are relatively sure that their fans will find other interesting bugs to follow.

We are also getting very close to the first 1.9 pre-release. Please make sure you vote on the most severe bugs in the bug tracker if you want to make sure we look at them before releasing 1.9.

Notable changes:

Better riding mechanics for boats, horses, minecarts and saddled pigs
The elytra texture now defaults to the cape texture if no custom texture is uploaded and the player owns a cape
Some sounds are sounding better now
Some sounds are sounding different now
Most sounds are still sounding exactly as before
Most entities in the game should now move much smoother
Villagers are not making fun of players anymore when nobody is around

Bugs fixed in this snapshot:

[Bug MC-1058] - Some Entities cannot be seen when on the edge of the screen
[Bug MC-90245] - Skeletons Strafe off of Cliffs
[Bug MC-90605] - Constant teleporting between Nether and Overworld
[Bug MC-91803] - In the game / title does not automatically play background music / cave ambient sounds
[Bug MC-92289] - Extra strongholds spawn in positions Mojang didn’t intend
[Bug MC-94209] - Typo in soundevent name “subtitles.enity.generic.explode”
[Bug MC-95416] - Item duplication in multiplayer

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com. If nobody reports a bug, we can’t fix it!

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds.

Cross-platform server jar:

Minecraft server jar

Report bugs here:

Minecraft issue tracker!

Journey to the West skins now on PE and Windows 10

Sat, 06 Feb 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Hello!

We’ve made even more skins for you players of Minecraft: Pocket Edition and Windows 10 Edition Beta.

In celebration of Year of The Monkey, we’ve created a pack based on Journey to the West - an ancient Chinese novel by Wu Cheng’en. You might not have heard of that, but you probably know about such awesome things as Digimon, Monkey, and Dragon Ball. All of those were inspired by Journey to the West.

The story is full of over the top, awesome-looking, adventurers, which is why we thought it would be an excellent fit for Minecraft. Check below for an illustrative moving image.

Everyone can download Red Boy and Guanyin for free, but pay $1.99 (or equivalent) and you’ll get Princess Iron Fan, Lord Hundred-Eyes, Bull Demon King, Monkey King, Jade Emperor, Monk Pig, Friar Sand, Lady Earth Flow, Spider Demon,Xuanzang, Pale Bone Demon and a Black Wind Demon.

If you haven’t tried Minecraft: Pocket Edition/Windows 10 Edition beta, what are you waiting for? Head to the Windows Store, the iOS App Store, the Google Play Store or The Amazon Store and buy it! We don’t even mind if you buy every version but only play one. We have plenty of bandwidth to spare.

Thanks!

Owen - @bopogamel

Race, Jump, and Explode Through These 14 New Realms Maps

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 16:00:00 +0000

It’s been some time since we last checked in on new maps for Minecraft Realms, so let’s get into it! Here are a bevy of new adventure maps, survival starters, and minigames ready for you to play right now!

Half Heart Race by Team Wooloo

Since the 2015 Minecon speedruns, it seems there’s been a bit more interest in going really fast in Minecraft. This map lets you do that with up to ten players! Are you up to it, with just a half of a heart of health? For an overview of the challenges you’ll face, take a look at this handy map panorama.

Jump Arena by NateT_Bird

Jump Arena is rooted in Minecraft, but feels like its own game. Custom textures and command blocks add new features from double-jumping to confetti guns. Run, jump, earn coins, and find all of the secrets in this challenging map!

Total House Bombover by Team Wooloo

Much of your time in Minecraft is probably consumed by creating a home for yourself, but blowing things up can prove to be equally satisfying. In this game, you’re given a set amount of TNT, and the level is complete only when you’ve blown up every last block. Ten levels await you; I recommend sticking around for the surprising final challenge.

The Genius Machine by The VoxelBox

The Genius Machine is a short, sweet, single-player experience. It was created during a weekend game jam, and uses features like custom models and voice acting to show off what a master builder can do with Minecraft. My favorite part? The talking microwave. It’s weird, and you should definitely give it a go.

Entrapment by SlicedLime

Coming from the mind of real-life game maker SlicedLime, we have Entrapment, a game about setting devious traps for your opponents. The twist here is that every so often, you switch play areas with the other team, creating the need to think far in advance. Don’t get caught in your own lava moat!

3D Minesweeper by TheAl_T

If you were to look at just one wall of this game, it’d appear to be a pretty standard game of the PC classic, Minesweeper. Back up a bit, however, and you’d see that all six sides of this cube are playable areas, right down to the tricky corners. We don’t often accept maps that try to re-create other games so closely, but after looking into it, it turns out that we’re good pals with the folks that own Minesweeper! This map is cleverly designed and runs smoothly. Try it for yourself!

Wayward Wonders by M0ndy

One of the most popular adventure map types is Complete the Monument, where you locate various blocks throughout the land, then return them to a central monument. This take on the genre involves navigating twelve different real and fictional architectural marvels. Even as a more compact version of the original, this map is huge, and is one of the largest maps we’ve published to Realms.

Surviving and thriving

Call them what you will- survival spawns, world templates, starters- these maps give Minecraft veterans a little boost when starting a brand new world. Check out the images below for a teaser of what each world has to offer, then go test them out in Realms!

Jungle Retreat by Nobleman, Paaaaaaat, Vek

Winter’s Hearth by Nobleman, Paaaaaaat

Zanafar Salt Mines by Pixelbat

Staalhamer by Springstof, Jaapie172

Tranquil Temple by K1ll1er, ImLeeRii, Mouldy_Burrito

Flower Island by Emoluvjd2

Sparrenhout by Springstof

Future content

It’s been a pleasure seeing what kinds of features mapmakers can come up with to create new experiences in Minecraft, and they’ll only get more complex and immersive in the future!

Keep in mind that while the upcoming Minecraft version 1.9 will bring new tools and toys for mapmakers, it’ll also retire some maps which use features that have changed. Before Realms upgrades to Minecraft 1.9, if you’re using one of the included adventure maps and haven’t yet completed it, we’ll let you know in-game how to download and continue playing. After that, we have a bunch of brand new adventures that take advantage of the upcoming features!

Have fun!

Marc - @Marc_IRL

Check out the Minecraft.net beta

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 16:45:00 +0000

Hello!

Some time this year we’re planning on launching a new, upgraded, Minecraft.net. It will include fancy features, community content, and extra special secret stuff that we don’t want to share quite yet. It’s going to be spectacular.

But that’s some time in the future. For now, we’re testing out an early redesign of Minecraft.net. It’ll include bugs, typos, and placeholder bits and pieces that might not work as you’d expect. It doesn’t show off our awesome merch. There is a high chance it’ll explode into a cloud of pixels.

Still, we’re happy for you to have a poke around. You can log in, change your skin, and do most of the things that the current Minecraft.net supports. Soon we’ll be setting up a place for you to send us feedback about the site. Until then, poke me on twitter if you find something offensive.

Get your exclusive preview of the minecraft.net beta here: beta.minecraft.net.

Have a great day, everyone!

Owen - @bopogamel