Minecraft 26.3 Release Date, Major Changes, & Patch Notes

Mojang recently released their final testing update for the coming 26.3 update to Minecraft, giving us a solid idea of all of the main changes and features coming to the game in the release! Although there are many other bug fixes and minor improvements to the game, we'll help cover the more notable changes and additions that everyone can expect in Minecraft 26.3.

Cushions

In case you missed our previous post on how you will now be able to sit down in Minecraft, one of the biggest additions to Minecraft this update is the new cushion block!

These are made from 3 wool slabs (more on those later), and can be placed on existing blocks like stairs or other slabs, or even placed through certain partial blocks like brewing stands, chains, and more.

Straw Beds

For those looking for a way to sleep while you're away from your base without resetting your spawn point, Minecraft finally has a solution! Minecraft 26.3 adds straw beds which can be found naturally in abandoned camps, or crafted with 3 hay bales.

These beds are consumed once you sleep in them, so they're single-use, but finally solve one of the most long-standing issues in Minecraft when it comes to exploration.

Wool Slabs & Stairs

Minecraft 26.3 is finally adding more options for wool-based blocks as well! Crafted as you would any regular slab or set of stairs, you can use whatever color of wool you'd like to now decorate your builds not only with matching cushions, but more wool options like these as well.

Concrete Slabs & Stairs

Wool isn't the only block type getting some special treatment in this update! Concrete will also be able extended to include stairs and slabs of their own in any color you want.

These are crafted in the usual stair/slab recipe format, just using whatever your preferred color of concrete blocks is to produce some clean colorful stairs.

Abandoned Camps

Minecraft 26.3 is also adding a new type of structure entirely in the form of abandoned camps!

These camps can spawn in any biome, and will include a campfire, straw bed, cushion, a tent, and some extra goodies to loot. These are great to look out for as you travel if it's night time, as the straw beds won't reset your spawn point if you use them to sleep through the night at one of these camps!

Dappled Forests

Finally, the last big update for 26.3 is the addition of an all-new biome! The Dappled Forest biome coming in Minecraft 26.3 features a more warm color palette with all new trees and blocks to match.

Dappled Forests will grow poplar trees, which are a new type of wood (and tree) to Minecraft, which also grow the new shelf mushrooms also being added in this update! These mushrooms spawn on the side of the trees, and can be cooked to eat, bone-mealed to grow them, or walked on as their own little platform if you want to build with them.

In addition, the new forests also include some new flora like red shrubs / bushes to match the biome's natural colors, autumnal leaves scattered around the ground, and more!

Minecraft 26.3 Release Date

As of writing, we don't have a confirmed release date for the Minecraft 26.3 update yet.

However, this is the game's fall update for the year (which perfectly fits the theme of the dappled forest biomes), which typically releases around September to October. The latest snapshot released by Mojang is titled as their "final testing" release, so unless something changes in the development cycle, it's safe to assume that the changes featured here are the main additions you can expect to come to the game.

If anything does change, or Mojang introduces anything new, we'll keep things updated here to make sure everyone is up to date.