Minecraft 1.21.6 update release date and details

When is the Minecraft 1.21.6 release date? The next Minecraft update is on the way following the recent Spring to Life game drop. We've been looking into when the 1.21.6 update, officially named Chase the Skies, might arrive, and which new features it contains.

Minecraft updates are announced during Live broadcast, and used to be annual. In late 2024, however, Mojang announced that there will now be more regular, smaller updates spread throughout the year. With 1.21.5 having launched in March 2025, here's what's coming to the sandbox game in Minecraft 1.21.6 and beyond.

The Minecraft 1.21.6 Chase the Skies update date is likely to fall in late June 2025. We are currently in the pre-release era of the update, following which will be a few release candidates to iron out the kinks. Then, the update itself.

1.21.6 Pre-release 4 was released on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, and this will likely be the last or perhaps the penultimate pre-release. Then, there will be a couple of Release Candidates before the full launch, perhaps taking us into early July at the latest. Since we're not part of the devlopment, it's hard to know how many pre-release and release candidates will be needed, but this is a rough estimate based on previous updates.

Minecraft 1.21.6 features

As of Minecraft snapshot 25w20a, everything coming with the next update had been confirmed. Alongside some smaller changes, like those in the 25w19a snapshot, here's every major addition:

Ghast family

Minecraft Dried Ghasts are a cute, tiny new mob that can be picked up and placed in your inventory. This is a necessity, as it's the only way to take these withered creatures to safety. Once you've cheered them up in the overworld, they'll grow into Ghastlings and, eventually, Happy Ghasts, which you can ride as they float through the air.

Saddle crafting

Yep, you read that right. A crafting recipe for saddles is being added with 1.21.6. The missing saddle recipe has been incorporated into Minecraft lore, with players believing that it was lost to time since the item could only be found around the world and never crafted. We think it's a little sad that the story is coming to an end, but it will make taming and riding horses a lot simpler.

Locator bar

The locator bar is especially useful for players on Minecraft servers or realms. A new bar on your basic Minecraft HUD, the locator bar acts like a standard compass videogame bar, with dots revealing the locations of nearby friends.

Lead changes

In what is seemingly a Minecraft update related to making things easier, your villager and mob leash troubles are a thing of the past. Now, transporting multiple entities at once is possible as you can leash them to each other - or just tie them all to a flying Ghast.

Harness

Speaking of flying Ghasts, you'll need a harness to ride one. This new crafting recipe consists of three leather, two glass blocks, and one wool block. The classic aviator-style harness features a cute pair of vintage goggles. They're worn down when the Ghast is mounted by a player and up when they're flying solo.

Previous Minecraft drops dates

The dates of previous Minecraft drops are as follows:

• Spring to Life - March 25, 2025
• The Garden Awakens - December 3, 2024
• Bundles of Bravery - October 22, 2024
• Armored Paws - April 23, 2024
• Bats and Decorated Pots - December 5, 2023

With that information in mind, be sure to explore the previous Minecraft update and keep an eye on Minecraft snapshots for the first glimpse of what's to come to the survival game next.