Minecraft Forums

Additions

General

Animations/Entity models

• Might include model changes within the NBT data.
  • Would be implemented via resource packs.
• Will make better use of code so that map/mod makers can create better/new mobs.
  • Same as the block data changes in 1.8.

Captions/Subtitles

• Subtitles which display for each sound for the hard of hearing/deaf.
  • An example would be “Creeper hissing”.
  • Would have < or > to point in the direction this sound is coming from.

Gameplay

Dominant hand option

• An option for players to change their dominant hand on their player model

Dual wielding

• Only the main hand can be used for attacking
• Bows can be used even when something is in the other hand
• The other hand is invisible in first person view when not holding something
• Key to swap items between hands, which is F by default
• If the item in the main hand doesn't have a right-click action, the other item will be used; Workaround for placing blocks while holding tools with right-click action
  • For example, if you have a pickaxe in your main hand and a torch in your other hand, right click places the torch.
• The off-hand slot is displayed next to the hotbar, on the off-hand side (left for right-hand players and vice versa)
• Some attributes and enchantments will apply to the off-hand item, while others will not.

Status effects

Blocks

New block type.

Grass path

• A 15/16 block tall grass-like “path”. It features a somewhat similar texture to the grass block.

New purple blocks

• Derived from the chorus plant.

New purple brick blocks.

• A brick block with slabs and stairs and and a pillar brick block and a chiseled brick block.

End stone bricks

• Slabs and stairs 

White glowing pole blocks

• Placable horizonally and vertically which produce white particles

Dragon mob head

Items

Chorus fruit

• Obtained from chorus plants
• Can be eaten even if the player is not hungry, similar to Golden Apples.

Chorus flowers

• Spawn on the top of the chorus plant
• Don't drop when the supporting block is destroyed so you need to hand-pick them.
• Can be planted on End Stone in any dimension.

Arrows

• Several new arrow types.
• New spectral arrow (gold colored)
  • Shows mob and player outlines in their team color when hit – even when invisible
  • NBT tag for entities to disable outlines
  • The glowing is a status effect – you can find out whether you're glowing from a spectral arrow using the status effect HUD
• Arrows can be tipped with potions
  • Each differently tipped arrow is available in the creative menu, just like enchanted books
  • Effect is applied on hit

Shields

• Will be used for blocking instead of a sword. 
• Can be used to attack and defend at the same time.
• Can use two shields at the same time
• Shields can have customizable patterns, like banners
• Used to block attacks from the side the shield is held on
• Sounds for when you blocked an attack

Dragon breath 

• Dropped by the Ender Dragon

World generation

End city dungeon

• Dungeon-type structure: "Tree" houses made of end stone and new blocks, including stairs
• Contains the shulker mob
• Generates on separate end islands arranged around the main island in a donut fashion

Chorus plants

• Tree/cactus-like arrangements of new purple block.
• Drop when supporting block is destroyed, like cacti.
• Drop edible chorus fruit items.
• Can be farmed by planting the chorus fruit flowers that come from the top of the plants.
• Grow in stages.

Generated structures

• Added support to rotate and mirror structures.

End gateway portal

• Appears after killing the dragon
• New type of portal, due to its size it is only accessible using ender pearls.
• Used to warp to other end islands depending on the direction of the ender pearl throw.

Mobs

Shulker

• Short for "Shell Lurker"
• The shell looks like a purple block
  • It can appear on the ground or walls
• Appears in the End city dungeons
• Using commands, they can be made to be part of a team to attack other teams and can be used as defense mobs
• When attacking, opens up and shoots projectiles which only move along the x/y/z axis
  • Projectiles can be knocked away by attacking them.
  • Getting hit by one causes damage and provides the levitation status effect

Changes

General

Shaders

• Switch away from using fixed-function OpenGL to using Shaders.
• Removed/moved the Super Secret Settings and Broadcast Settings

Block models

• Models can be put together based on BlockState attributes – As a result, the vanilla set of block models was reduced by almost 300 models
  • These will also be changed in resource packs, allowing better rotation and translation handling, as well as consistent left hand support.

Gameplay

Bosses

• Proper support for multiple bosses’ health bars, so they show at the same time without obstructing each other.

Clouds

• New cloud rendering system.

Death messages

• Death messages will now be displayed on the player's death screen as well as in the chat.

Inventory

• Rearranged the survival inventory and the creative "survival tab" to accommodate the new off hand slot.

Items

• Can now render when equipped into the head slot

Status effects

• Status effects are now displayed on the HUD, instead of just in the inventory, similarly to Pocket Edition
  • Displays status effect icons ordered by time left
  • Positive effects are on the top row, negative effects on the bottom row
  • Effects that are about to run out blink, faster when closer to running out and also fade away.

Commands

/clone

• Allows for mirroring/rotating structures

Blocks

Armor stands

• Can now dual wield

Command blocks

• Will have a new UI
  • Will contain tab to complete.

Dead bushes

• Will now drop anywhere between 0–2 sticks

Ender crystals

• A version of the ender crystal can be crafted which spawns another dragon when placed

Items

Bows

• The bow in your hotbar now shows an arrow when being drawn.
• Arrows in the off hand are prioritized over arrows in the rest of the inventory slots.

Ender pearls

• Can now be thrown in creative mode

Maps

• Now display as a mini map when held in either hand, rather than being held with both hands.

Swords

• Can no longer be used for blocking.

World generation

End island

• A set amount of differently-sized pillars are arranged in a circular fashion
• The tallest pillars have iron bars around their ender crystal
  • This makes it so that you have to climb some of the pillars, making the fight harder
• The exit portal is pre-generated, but without the dragon egg and portal blocks
• Infinite number of islands in the end

Mobs

Ender dragon

• Revamped boss fight inspired by the Console Edition.
• The dragon can be respawned as often as you want by placing player-made craftable ender crystals, but subsequent dragons don't drop as much XP and won't drop a dragon egg
• The dragon breathes fire/purple particles on players and mobs
• The dragon will defend the obsidian pillars more the further the fight progresses
• Every dragon drops dragon breath, but only one dragon egg can be obtained
• A more controlled dragon

Hostile mobs

• Will now have animations to show that they are attacking.
  • Can dual wield, but only use their right hand item.

Skeletons

• Skeletons now animate their bow
• They pull it out when becoming hostile and draw it back to shoot arrows
• Mapmakers can make skeletons shoot potion-tipped arrows

All mobs

• More different textures for mobs

Fixes

25 issues fixed

From released versions before 1.9

• MC-417 – Arrows first bounce back then appear at correct location
• MC-669 – Failing to place blocks in creative mode causes an animation
• MC-849 – Eating a food item / drinking potion / curing zombie has a chance of also consuming a second food item / potion without any animation
• MC-1537 – Sometimes doors in strongholds are misplaced
• MC-1720 – Dropped items bounce on stairs, cauldrons, carpets and full/locked hoppers
• MC-1956 – Arms misplaced in skeletons with a bow
• MC-2310 – Villager/Player getting killed by zombie through a closed door
• MC-3059 – Bow and arrow can fire through doors and fences
• MC-4272 – Zombie Pigmen don’t attack in groups when fighting other mobs
• MC-4474 – Boss health bar temporarily viewable after respawn and loading another world
• MC-4504 – The hitbox of brewing stands is missing the blaze rod
• MC-5404 – Name Tags/XP Orbs/Splash Potions are angled in third-person mode
• MC-10447 – Pick up framed enchanted items with “Pick Block (MOUSE 3)” doesn’t give you the enchanted item
• MC-12456 – Fences won’t attach to layered snow blocks
• MC-12549 – 1.5 Odd mob ‘magnetized attraction’ behavior
• MC-14525 – Name tag doesn’t work on entities with right click ability
• MC-16204 – New creative GUI showing detailed effects, does not show on some potions and bows
• MC-28479 – Chest interface not closed when chest is blocked from opening
• MC-42841 – Incorrect creative instant health damage value
• MC-52802 – Mob head takes a fraction of a second to change to selected head
• MC-54486 – Glass panes and iron bars don’t connect to graphically opaque blocks that are registered as transparent. e.g. slime blocks, end portal frame blocks and monster spawner blocks
• MC-55942 – Nether Wart hitbox is incorrect on multiplayer (Untested on singleplayer)
• MC-67163 – Damage value for objective stat.mineBlock is missing
• MC-68062 – Boss health bar only visible when looking at boss
• MC-75082 – End music will stop every time the ender dragon loads out of view

Other fixes

• Arrows no longer occasionally collide with a glitched 'invisible wall'.