I think Minecraft's next update might literally just feature new baby mobs, and I'm not actually that mad about it

(Image credit: Mojang)

When Minecraft revealed its first drop of 2026 with a cast of adorable new baby mob designs, I knew we were in for a treat. As much as I love the animals in the overworld, the fact that the baby ones are just smaller versions of the adults with incredibly large heads never sat right with me. So, knowing they've got an all-new look coming in the first update for the year is definitely something I'm looking forward to.

Courtesy of a series of blog posts shared no the official Minecraft news blog, it seems this new look isn't limited to a handful of mobs either. Initially, only eight mobs were shared: pigs, cows, chickens, wolves, sheep, ocelots, cats, and rabbits. Now, though, it's been announced that foxes, turtles, axolotls, polar bears, camels, bees, mountain goats, llamas, and armadillos will be receiving the same treatment, too. So basically, every animal you can find in the overworld is getting this treatment.

But outside of a new look and entirely new sound effects to accompany, I don't think the drop will feature much else. We certainly haven't seen any other features teased at the very least. I thought this might make the entire update seem a bit lacklustre at first, but the more I think about it, the happier I feel about the amount of care that seems to have gone into creating such a change. After all, the Spring to Life update from last year didn't feature much outside of biome variant mobs, and that definitely gave Minecraft a necessary refresh, which I didn't expect.

Kara is an evergreen writer. Having spent four years as a games journalist guiding, reviewing, or generally waffling about the weird and wonderful, she’s more than happy to tell you all about which obscure indie games she’s managed to sink hours into this week. When she’s not raising a dodo army in Ark: Survival Evolved or taking huge losses in Tekken, you’ll find her helplessly trawling the internet for the next best birdwatching game because who wants to step outside and experience the real thing when you can so easily do it from the comfort of your living room. Right?

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