Minecraft update is live, adds new blocks and beds

Minecraft sheep

A new Minecraft update has landed, adding an experimental new lighting engine, three new mini-blocks and, best of all, beds. If everyone on a server goes to bed at night, the game will skip to the morning. It's a good way to dodge those marauding night time mobs. You'll find the full list of updates below.

Notch announced the changes on his blog . They look a little bit like this:

  • Implemented a new lighting engine with the help of MrMessiahs (can be turned off)

  • Changed the options around, added a new “Graphics options” button

  • Added beds. If all players in a map sleeps in a bed during night, the game immediately skips until morning

  • Added three new half-size blocks

  • Added Delay/Repeater redstone dust blocks

  • Added whitelisting to the server. To use, enter “whitelist ” where cmd is “on”, “off”, “add ”, “remove ”, “list” or “reload”

  • New save file format, old maps need to be converted (that might take a while..)

  • It's now possible to have more than five save slots, and to rename saves

  • Scrollbars in both the texture pack list, and in the map selection screen

  • Replaced the Mojang splash image to reflect the new logo colors

  • ... and a bunch of bug fixes and tweaks!

A short Minecraft documentary was released recently showing Minecraft's creators Mojang Specifications as they moved into their new offices. There's also a version of Minecraft being developed for iPads and iPhones .

Tom Senior

Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.