Minecraft: Java Edition · Game update

Minecraft 26.1: Tiny Takeover

Tiny Takeover was the first release on the new year.drop.hotfix version numbering and the first to ship fully unobfuscated, requiring Java 25. It reworked baby mob models, added the golden dandelion that pauses baby mob aging, made villager trades data driven and restructured the world save folder layout.

Released
Server needs
Java 25
Protocol
775
Start a 26.1 serverStart a free server

Seven days free, no card. Pick 26.1 when you create the server, or switch an existing one from the panel.

What is new in Minecraft 26.1

The additions people noticed first, then everything else by area.

  • First release using the year.drop.hotfix version format
  • Ships fully unobfuscated, with no obfuscated variant
  • Requires Java 25 and bundles the Microsoft build of OpenJDK 25
  • Golden dandelion pauses and resumes baby mob aging
  • Villager and wandering trader trades are now data driven
  • World save layout restructured into dimensions and players folders

Blocks and items

  • Golden dandelion crafted from a dandelion and eight gold nuggets
  • Golden dandelion pauses and resumes baby mob aging
  • Name tags now craftable from paper and any nugget

Mobs

  • All baby mobs except nautiluses and ghastlings got new models and textures
  • Baby axolotls gained play-dead animations
  • Saddles and armor no longer render on baby pigs, camels and wolves

Gameplay

  • Villager and wandering trader trades defined by JSON configs
  • Librarians no longer offer name tags, wandering traders do

Commands and technical

  • New /swing command makes an entity swing its arm
  • /time restructured around world clocks with pause and resume
  • Trades moved to data-driven JSON configuration

Running a Minecraft 26.1 server

What the release means for whoever runs the server.

  • Requires Java SE 25, the first release to need it
  • Ships with the Microsoft build of OpenJDK 25
  • Default RAM allocation raised to 4 GB
  • Garbage collector switched to ZGC on compatible systems
  • Network protocol 775
  • Data pack format 101.1
  • Resource pack format 84.0
  • World format changed: dimensions moved into a dimensions subfolder
  • Player data moved into a players folder, world data namespaced
  • Dragon fight and wandering trader data moved out of level.dat
  • First release shipped fully unobfuscated

Before you update a world: take a backup. A world opened in 26.1 cannot be opened in an older version again. How backups work here.

26.1 on FadeHost

The right Java, set for you
A 26.1 server needs Java 25, and the panel starts it with a Java that fits. 1.21.11 ran on Java 21; switching a server to 26.1 switches the Java with it.
Server software for 26.1
VanillaFabricForgeNeoForge
Who can join
Players on 26.1 and on 26.1.1 and 26.1.2: the network protocol is the same.
Start a 26.1 server

Patches after 26.1

The fix releases that followed, oldest first.

Minecraft 26.1.1

· Java 25

26.1.1 was a hotfix that resolved a single chat reporting bug and added nothing new. It stayed compatible with 26.1 servers.

What 26.1.1 changed

Minecraft 26.1.2

· Java 25

26.1.2 was a hotfix that closed an exploit letting players in Spectator mode attack other players. It also tidied tooltips on the Report Player screen and stayed compatible with 26.1 and 26.1.1 servers.

What 26.1.2 changed

Questions about 26.1

When was Minecraft 26.1 released?

Minecraft: Java Edition 26.1, Tiny Takeover, was released on March 24, 2026.

What Java version does a Minecraft 26.1 server need?

Java 25. The release before it, 1.21.11, ran on Java 21. On FadeHost the server starts with the right Java for its Minecraft version on its own, so there is nothing to install or switch.

What did Minecraft 26.1 add?

Tiny Takeover was the first release on the new year.drop.hotfix version numbering and the first to ship fully unobfuscated, requiring Java 25. It reworked baby mob models, added the golden dandelion that pauses baby mob aging, made villager trades data driven and restructured the world save folder layout.

Can players on another version join a 26.1 server?

Players on 26.1.1 and 26.1.2 can: the network protocol (775) is the same. Any other version has to match the server, unless a Paper server runs plugins such as ViaVersion and ViaBackwards.

Can I update my world to Minecraft 26.1?

Yes. Take a backup, switch the server to 26.1 and start it: the world is converted on the first boot. A world opened in 26.1 cannot be opened in an older version again, so keep the backup until you are sure.

How do I start a Minecraft 26.1 server?

Create a server on FadeHost and pick 26.1 in the software list: Vanilla, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge are there for this version. It is online in about a minute. The free tier runs a 2 GB server at no cost, and a paid server is sized to the RAM you need.

The release before

Minecraft 1.21.11 Mounts of Mayhem

December 9, 2025

The release after

Minecraft 26.1.1

April 1, 2026

Read on

Change a server's version

Version, software and loader build are one setting in the panel.

Java version errors

What the wrong Java looks like in the console, and why it does not happen here.

RAM calculator

How much memory a server needs, sized from servers measured on our nodes.

Every Minecraft version

All releases, what each one added and the Java it needs.

Release facts from the Minecraft Wiki:Java Edition 26.1. Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang; FadeHost is not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.