Minecraft 1.16 Snapshot Shows New Nether — and Makes Diamonds Obsolete

Published: February 5, 2020 3:45 PM /

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Minecraft 1.16 Snapshot Blue Nether

The Minecraft 1.16 Snapshot is here, and Snapshot 20W06A gives us our first look at the overhauled Nether. Even more surprising, a new material has been created that may well render diamonds obsolete!

Not that long ago, the fine folks at Mojang announced that they were going to be overhauling the Nether in Minecraft. This special dimension uses compressed space, meaning that every one block you travel in the Nether equates to eight blocks in the Overworld.

Unfortunately, the Nether was looking a little bland — and that's why the Minecraft devs decided to give it a little sprucing up. Now, you can check out 20W06A and see what's new with the Nether!

Minecraft 1.16 Snapshot Even Redder Nether

What's New with the Nether in the Minecraft 1.16 Snapshot?

The obvious changes are the new red and blue bits you've seen in the screenshots of the Nether above. The Crimson Forest biome (red) and Soulsand Valley biome (blue) bring in some cool new blocks for players to enjoy. Also joining the Snapshot are Hoglins, a new mob that doesn't yet have any functionality.

These new areas contain several new kinds of blocks, many of which are used simply for decoration. There are also a few new plants like Weeping Vines, Crimson Fungi, and Warped Nylium. New plants and new blocks pale in comparison to one of the other new additions: Netherite.

Netherite is a brand-new material that can only be found in the Nether. The process is a little challenging, especially because there's a lot more lava in this realm.

First, you'll have to mine Ancient Debris in the lower areas of the Nether. Then, you'll refine it into Netherite Scrap. Four Netherite Scrap can be used to make a Netherite Ingot. From there, it can be used to craft tools and armor, just as you could with diamond... except this stuff is way better.

What Can Netherite Do?

Netherite has several special properties, many of which are sure to make veteran Minecraft players salivate. Here are its features as described in the Minecraft 1.16 Snapshot patch notes:

  • Netherite items float in lava so you don’t lose all your gear after that unplanned lava bath
  • Netherite items have higher enchantment value than diamond (but not as high as gold)
  • Netherite tools work faster and last longer than diamond
  • Netherite weapons do more damage than diamond
  • Netherite armor have higher toughness and durability than diamond
  • Netherite armor gives you knockback resistance, so you barely get knocked back at all when hit by arrows and such
  • ...and it looks cool!

Yeah. I'm sold.

We still have a ways to go before this content is officially in the game, but you can play the 20w06a Snapshot right now by selecting it in your client. You can also check out the full Minecraft 1.16 Snapshot patch notes.

What do you think of the new Nether biomes? Are you excited about Netherite? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
| Senior Writer

One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

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Release Date
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