Mojang just dropped a big Minecraft update for June 2025, and it’s got something for everyone—from sky-high adventures to long-awaited features. Version 1.21.6 for Java and 1.21.92 for Bedrock (also called version 1022 on consoles) launched globally on June 17, 2025. This “Chase the Skies” update brings flying mounts, saddle crafting, and multiplayer upgrades, continuing Mojang’s trend of smaller but frequent content updates.
Since late 2024, Mojang has been moving away from huge yearly updates. Instead, they now release smaller patches more often. After the March “Spring to Life” patch, this latest update focuses on sky travel, improved visuals, and smoother gameplay.
Minecraft’s Rideable Flying Mob
The biggest addition is the Happy Ghast, a friendly flying mob you can actually ride. It hatches from something called a Dried Ghast Block, which players can either find beneath Nether Fossils or craft using soul sand and ghast tears. After placing the block and adding water, it takes around 20 minutes to hatch into a Ghastling. Give it some time, and it turns into a full-grown Happy Ghast.
You can feed it snowballs to help it grow faster. Once it’s fully grown, it can carry up to four players and even pull boats or camels through the sky.
To ride it, you’ll need to craft a Harness using leather, wool, and glass blocks. It comes with built-in goggles that drop down when you mount the Ghast and flip up when it’s flying alone. Without this item, you can’t control the Ghast.
Saddle Crafting is Finally Here
Players have wanted this for years—and now it’s official: you can craft saddles. The recipe uses three leather and two iron nuggets, so there’s no need to search loot chests anymore. It makes taming and riding horses, pigs, and other mobs way easier.
Also, leads now work better. You can leash more than one mob at a time and even attach them to a flying Ghast. Slimeballs have been replaced with string in the recipe, making it more accessible.
New Multiplayer Feature: Locator Bar
Playing with friends just got easier thanks to the new Locator Bar. When you’re in a multiplayer world or Realm, this mini-compass shows nearby players using colored icons. Want to hide? Just crouch or wear a mob head.
Server admins can turn this feature off with /gamerule locatorBar false, or tweak it using the /waypoint commands.
Visuals Get a Boost on Bedrock
Bedrock players now get access to Vibrant Visuals, a built-in shader-like upgrade that adds shadows, better fog, water reflections, and cooler clouds. Java players will get these improvements later, but horizon clouds are already starting to appear.
While many love the new look, some players on mid-range systems have noticed FPS drops. Luckily, you can turn off individual effects in the settings menu.
New Music Tracks & Music Disc
Composer Amos Roddy added six new background tracks. One special addition is the “Tears” disc, which drops if you deflect a ghast’s fireball—a cool reward for skilled players. Music now keeps playing even when you pause, and a quick message pops up when a new track starts.
Bedrock Patch 1.21.92 – Fixes & Tweaks
Alongside all the new features, Mojang also fixed some annoying bugs:
- Fixed a split-screen issue on Xbox where players showed up as Guests
- Fixed disconnects when adding split-screen players in multiplayer
- Projectile hitboxes now scale better over time
- Small items (under 16px) now show up correctly again
- Skyboxes render properly even without Vibrant Visuals
- Entity files with null components now load as expected
What About Mods Like Distant Horizons?
Mods like Distant Horizons (which increases render distance way beyond the game’s default) aren’t fully ready for this version yet. The dev team says a beta is working, but not everything is stable. A full release is expected by late June or early July 2025.
If you rely on this mod, it’s safer to stay on version 1.21.5 for now. Follow their official Discord for updates.
Before You Update – What You’ll Need
Want to jump into the new features right away? Gather these items first:
- Ghast Tears and Soul Sand to make Dried Ghast Blocks
- Snowballs to speed up Ghastling growth
- String for crafting leads
- Leather, Glass, Wool for making the harness
Also, remember to back up your world. This patch uses Data Pack v80, which might cause issues if you try to roll back.
What’s Coming Next?
At Minecraft Live 2025, Mojang confirmed another update later this year that will bring Vibrant Visuals to Java Edition and tweak combat mechanics. Testing for that starts this summer.
Players are already loving how the update breathes new life into underused biomes and builds. Flying through the sky, towing mobs, and exploring from above adds a whole new way to play—even on old maps.
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