As far as video game rags-to-riches stories go, they don't come much grander than Minecraft. With roughly 1.5 billion square miles for players to roam around in, it has one of the biggest map sizes in all of gaming, which opens up an entire world of near endless possibilities. Along with its dedicated community who are always creating new things, the development studio itself is always pushing out new ideas to keep things fresh. With that comes the "snapshot" updates showcase features for players to try out, and Mojang has just announced its next patch.

In a post on the official Minecraft website, snapshot 22W14A has been unveiled by the team, with a breakdown of what fans can expect in the update. One of the most exciting new additions is the "recovery compass," a craftable item that allows fans to find where they died. Much like the regular compass, which points at the player's spawn point or the last bed they slept in, this version will point the needle at the place where players met their in-game demise. It can be crafted using one standard compass surrounded by eight Echo Shards.

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On top of that, there is a new biome in Minecraft, a Mangrove Swamp. As described in the post, these swamps are located in warm and humid places, the same areas players would find regular swamps. To go with this new swamp type is the introduction of the aforementioned Mangrove tress, which are adapted to water locations and have a chance of spawning a bee nest.

Minecraft One Block At A Time

There is also some clay renewability, in which players can place mud above a block that features Pointed Dripstone, which will turn the mud back into clay, according to the website. There's quite a bit to check out here. Along with some technical changes, Minecraft's snapshot updates allow players to test features before they become full updates for the game, such as being able to try out the "Caves & Cliffs" addition before it gets rolled out.

As Minecraft fans continue to discover new things, despite the game being more than a decade old, and with Mojang pumping out new updates, it seems this open-world blocky title will continue to be known for its longevity. At this point, it seems odd to think that there may come a time when people will move on from the game. But the combined efforts of the studio and community means that probably won't be happening for a good while.

Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

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Source: Minecraft