For as long as video games have existed, there have been violent titles and media controversy surrounding mindless carnage, but things like Minecraft help to buck that stereotype by offering something more serene. Along with Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, Mojang's open-world sandbox IP is considered one of the most peaceful and relaxing games around. Of course, there is still some conflict in the world, but it's tame when compared to many other releases. However, sometimes fans do want that extra bit of firepower to go with all that creativity.
In this case, Reddit user jesver has managed to use a data pack to create a fully working pistol in Minecraft. A brief clip on the thread shows them pulling the gun out and firing it into empty space, with full animations, muzzle flashes, and smoke. There's also a bullet indicator just above the hot bar, which depletes half a bullet every time it's fired. Without there being en enemy in the way, it's hard to say whether it is actually firing projectiles that could cause damage, but it's still an interesting addition to this otherwise tranquil game.
While there aren't actual guns available in the vanilla Minecraft experience, there have been more than a few instances of people implementing them. The closest players get to a piece of artillery in the main build is when they come across gunpowder in Minecraft that's used to make explosives. Violence is not something unknown to the game, as players do have to fight off mobs with swords and the like, but it's not something that many would typically think of when discussing a game with such peaceful leanings.
Data packs in Minecraft are a fantastic way for people to customize the overall experience. Many feature new or more detailed graphics for a different visual playthrough, while others just add any number of features. There have even been data packs that added a ton of extra biomes to the world, or ones that provide brand-new blocks that Mojang has yet to implement.
These are just some of the reasons why the game is still popular after more than a decade. The longevity of Minecraft is down to the community, who not only create their own textures and data packs to change things up in numerous ways, but also continue to use the vast landscape to carve out and create some interesting projects, showcasing great talent and the versatility of the game itself.
Minecraft is available for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.