New Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot: More Cuteness and Important Technical Fixes

Hello, explorers and builders! The Mojang team continues to delight us with fresh innovations, and this time they have released the fourth snapshot for the upcoming 26.1 update. This test release, dated January 20, 2026, not only doubles the charm in your world but also introduces important technical adjustments that will affect both regular players and content creators. Let’s dive into what the developers have prepared for us.

Adorable Foals and Updated Sounds

The main star of this snapshot is undoubtedly the rework of models and textures for the entire equine family. Now, foals of horses, donkeys, and mules look even cuter and more proportional. Their models have been completely updated, and their hitboxes (collision boundaries) have been enlarged to match their new, more detailed appearance. The developers didn’t overlook rare mobs either: foals of zombie horses and skeleton horses, which can only be obtained in creative mode or via commands, have also received updated looks.

In addition to visual changes, Mojang has added a whole set of new sounds specifically for foals. Now you can hear their unique breathing, footsteps, eating, discontent, and even falling sounds. This small but significant change adds depth and atmosphere to interactions with these friendly mobs. The texture of chicks’ wings has also been fixed, completing the work on their updated design from previous snapshots.

Technical Changes and Their Impact on the Game

Alongside visual improvements, Snapshot 4 brings a number of significant technical changes. The Data Pack and Resource Pack versions have been updated to 97.1 and 78.1, respectively. This is a standard procedure that lays the groundwork for new mechanics and content.

One of the key changes affects the handling of villagers’ and piglins’ inventories. Previously, their slots could be accessed via the villager.* and piglin.* commands. Now, these prefixes have been removed, and to interact with these mobs’ inventories, you must use the unified path mob.inventory.*. This change aims to standardize commands and simplify the workflow for map and datapack creators, making the system more logical and predictable.

Another interesting addition is the introduction of “world clocks” (minecraft:the_end) for the End dimension. This new technical entity now controls light flashes in the End sky, opening up new possibilities for modders and resource pack creators to customize this dimension.

Finally, new tags for blocks, such as #supports_stem_fruit, have been added. These tags determine which surfaces certain plants, like melons and pumpkins, can grow on. This gives developers more control over the rules for flora generation and growth in the world.

Important Bug Fixes

No snapshot is complete without bug fixes, and this one is no exception. The Mojang team has resolved 21 issues, including long-standing bugs and those that appeared in recent test versions. Among the most notable fixes are:

• Generation Issues: Fixed a bug where shipwrecks could generate incorrectly at chunk borders.

• Mob Behavior: Several issues related to the behavior of villagers, piglins, and iron golems have been fixed. For example, villagers no longer suffer from insomnia, and piglins now correctly initiate hoglin hunts.
• Villager Trading: Adjustments have been made to trade balance, especially for those using the experimental "Villager Trade Rebalance" feature.

What Does This Mean for Players?

Snapshot 4 continues the 26.1 update’s focus on improving visual elements and enhancing gameplay quality. The new foal models make the Minecraft world even more lively and visually appealing. The technical changes, while not always noticeable to the average player, lay a solid foundation for future updates and expand the toolkit for the creative community.

We see that Mojang pays attention not only to major innovations but also to polishing existing mechanics. What do you think of this snapshot? Which other mob models would you like to see updated? Share your thoughts and ideas!