Minecraft Live 2025: Vibrant Visuals, Flying Happy Ghast, and Everything Announced

Minecraft Live 2025 has wrapped up, leaving fans buzzing with excitement over the slew of new updates and content Mojang has in store for the iconic game. The developer kicked off the year with the announcement of the first game drop, aptly named "Spring to Life." Set to launch on March 25, this update promises to breathe new life into the Overworld, making biomes feel more immersive and alive. Players can look forward to new variants of familiar mobs like cows, pigs, and chickens, along with enchanting ambient features such as the glittering firefly bush, falling leaves, and the soft whispers of sand.

The second game drop of the year, though yet to be named, is equally intriguing. It introduces the Dried Ghast block, which, when rehydrated, transforms into a Ghastling—a baby ghast. This adorable creature can further evolve into the Happy Ghast variant. The highlight? Players can craft a Ghast harness to ride the Happy Ghast, allowing up to four players to soar through the skies together. Additionally, a new Locator Bar feature will help players find their friends while flying, enhancing the social aspect of the game. Mojang emphasized the Happy Ghast's utility in Survival Mode, likening it to a taste of Creative Mode freedom within the constraints of Survival.

In a significant visual overhaul, Mojang unveiled 'Vibrant Visuals,' a major update aimed at enhancing the game's aesthetics without altering gameplay. This update marks the first step in a broader vision to transform how players experience Minecraft visually. For a deeper dive into the Vibrant Visuals upgrade, check out IGN's dedicated article and their visuals comparison video.

Adding to the excitement, Mojang shared a new clip from the upcoming "A Minecraft Movie" and announced a movie-themed in-game live event. Set to commence on March 25, the event will take place in Midport Village, where players can join Steve and his movie companions in a dynamic multiplayer experience. The challenge? Defend the village from a piglin attack through three engaging mini-games. The event runs until April 7, and completing all challenges rewards players with the coveted Yearn cape.

During our visit to Mojang's offices in Sweden, we learned more about the developer's stance on several key issues: they have no plans to create a Minecraft 2, transition the game to a free-to-play model, or employ generative AI in its development. These insights provide a clearer picture of Mojang's vision for the future of Minecraft.

Minecraft Live 2025 — Everything Announced:

• Mojang Studios announced the name, launch date, and features of the first game drop of the year, as well as upcoming features in the second game drop of the year.
• The first game drop of the year is called “Spring to Life,” and introduces a variety of updates to the Overworld that will make biomes feel more immersive and alive.
• Spring to Life adds warm and cold variants of some of Minecraft's classic mobs, new ambient features like the glittering firefly bush, falling leaves, and whispers of sand, and more reasons to explore.
• The second game drop of the year includes the new Dried Ghast block, the new Ghastling and Happy Ghast mob variants, and the Ghast harness.
• The Dried Ghast is a little bit smaller than a regular block and has cute little tentacles and a grumpy face.
• If you pick up the Dried Ghast from the Nether and put it in water, eventually it will become a much happier Ghastling.
• The Ghastling floats around the Overworld like a little balloon. Feed it snowballs and eventually it will grow up to become a flying Happy Ghast.
• If you craft a harness for the Happy Ghast, tempt it to come closer with the harness itself, then jump on it. From there, you and up to three other players can fly around on a single Happy Ghast.
• The new Locator Bar feature, positioned at the bottom of the screen, lets you see in which direction your friends are. That will be useful for finding friends while flying a Happy Ghast.
• Mojang said the Happy Ghast will be useful for Survival Mode builders, because "it's a bit like being in Creative Mode, but in Survival." The platform lets you position wherever you like in the sky and dismount.
• Mojang Studios announced a visual upgrade for Minecraft, titled Vibrant Visuals.
• Mojang revealed an exclusive A Minecraft Movie clip and announced an in-game movie-themed live event.
• The live event takes place in Midport Village, and sees players join Steve and his companions from the movie in an evolving multiplayer experience where you defend the village from a piglin attack in three mini-games.
• The live event runs from March 25 to April 7, and if you complete all the challenges you earn the Yearn cape.