Upcoming Minecraft Update: Beware of Creepy Trees! Play Early Starting Today

Just days after Mojang Studios unveiled the next two major content updates at Minecraft Live 2024, players are already getting a chance to try them out. One of these updates introduces a spooky new biome filled with one of the most unsettling mobs to ever grace Minecraft: The Creaking. And the best part? You don't have to wait months or weeks to experience these eerie new additions.

Mojang has just released the first snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition, allowing players to explore the Pale Garden biome and its terrifying tree-like residents. Meanwhile, Minecraft: Bedrock Edition will receive a preview on multiple platforms soon. Here’s everything you need to know about this snapshot and what’s coming later this year.

Experience the Horror of The Creaking Early

At Minecraft Live 2024, Mojang Studios introduced the Bundles of Bravery update, which will arrive soon for all Minecraft players. While that update brings Hardcore Mode to Bedrock Edition (it’s already in Java Edition) and introduces customizable bundles, the bigger and scarier update is still a few months away. Though it remains nameless for now, Minecraft: Java Edition players can dive into the first snapshot, 24w40a, right now to test its thrilling new features.

Minecraft: Bedrock Edition players on Windows PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Android, and iOS will have to wait a bit longer, but they’ll soon have the opportunity to test the same features in upcoming betas and previews.

So, what does this haunting Game Drop bring?

The Pale Garden Biome

The centerpiece of this update is The Pale Garden, a forest biome unlike anything Minecraft has seen before:

- The Pale Garden is eerily quiet, almost colorless, and filled with dense trees and foliage that limit visibility.

- Unique ambient sounds intensify as night approaches, adding to the ominous atmosphere.

Meet The Creaking: Minecraft’s New Nightmare Mob

The Pale Garden is home to one hostile native mob—The Creaking, one of Minecraft’s most terrifying and asymmetrical mobs to date. Here’s what you need to know:

- The Creaking only spawns at night and blends in with the Pale Garden, making it hard to spot.

- This mob is immune to damage and only moves when you’re not looking at it, similar to the infamous "Weeping Angels" mechanic.

- Players wearing a pumpkin head can keep The Creaking in their sights without it freezing.

Defeating The Creaking: The Creaking Heart

The only way to take down a Creaking is by locating its Creaking Heart:

- The Creaking Heart becomes active at night, surrounded by Pale Oak logs, and spawns at least one Creaking to guard it.

- Ambient sounds and particle effects can help players track down the heart, and once destroyed, all connected Creaking mobs will die.

- Players can use a Silk Touch pickaxe to collect the Creaking Heart and relocate it elsewhere.

New Crafting Materials: Pale Oak Set

The Pale Oak trees and Pale Moss found in The Pale Garden bring a variety of new crafting possibilities:

- Pale Oak logs can be used to craft everything from planks and doors to fences and boats.

- Pale Moss blocks naturally spawn and can spread to nearby blocks when placed as Pale Moss Carpet.

- Pale Hanging Moss grows from Pale Oak trees and features its own atmospheric sound effects.

Try It Now

You can download the Minecraft: Java Edition 24w40a snapshot right now via the Minecraft Launcher on Windows PC to explore The Pale Garden and face off against The Creaking. While this update adds a ton of spooky new features, we hope Mojang will provide more reasons to visit The Pale Garden—perhaps with exclusive rewards or treasures to incentivize players to explore at night.

This early release is a promising step, giving Mojang the opportunity to fine-tune the update ahead of its full release as part of the "Winter Drop" later this year on all platforms. Dive into the snapshot today and brace yourself for the eerie world of The Pale Garden!