Minecraft: Java Edition gets Pre-Release 2 and 3 for ‘the Nether Update’s’ 1.16.2 update

The next stage of the Nether Update is upon us.

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What you need to know

What you need to know

The Nether Updatewas a massive update forMinecraft, and as such there’s still plenty of work for Mojang Studios to do in order to make the release as polished as possible. This means a smaller update underneath the Nether Update branch, bringing bug fixes, enhancements, and even a new feature or two. Enter: 1.16.2, the next update for Minecraft (no, notthe Mountain Update).

According toMinecraft’s blog, Pre-Release 2 and 3 are both rolling out to players of the Java Edition, bringing further bug changes right before the update comes out. Now that 1.16.2 is in Pre-Release, I only expect it to be a few more weeks before everyone gets to taste the numerous changes in store. These Pre-Releases are only for small tweaks and improvements, however, so don’t expect anything wild.

Pre-Release 2 brought a decent list of changes, as well as making it so crimson and warped roots no longer require shears to be mined. Pre-Release 3 built on top of this with more bug fixes, with an apparent focus on overall stability in comparison to Pre-Release 2. This isn’t very exciting, of course, but 1.16.2 will bring the new piglin brute mob to Minecraft, as well as make some improvements to netherite, chain blocks, and much more. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer now!

Available everywhere you play.

Minecraft is an inarguable and complete success. It has sold copies in the hundreds of millions, has a huge following of dedicated players, and lets you unlock your every creative desire. It’s also available on every platform imaginable, including Xbox One, Windows 10, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Play with anyone, and play anywhere.

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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter@BoddyZachary.