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Minecraft’s Nether update gives hell a fresh coat of paint

Minecraft’s latest update (1.16) is now live, bringing huge changes to the game’s previously sparse, but hellish Nether zone.

The most notable change is the addition of four new biomes to the Nether: The Soul Sand Valley (a gloomy desert overrun with ghasts), the Crimson Forest (an expanse of red fungi), the Warped Forest (blue fungi and a whole lot of Endermen), and Basalt Deltas (a land of volcanic rock).

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The 1.16 patch also adds new mobs such as piglins and even striders, fungal creatures the player can ride across lava.

The update is live now for Java players and Bedrock players.

Other than biomes and creatures, the update brings a variety of other gameplay additions, including a new stone (Blackstone), new crafting material (Netherite), a respawn anchor to set your respawn point in the nether, and a whole bunch of other new features.

You can read the full patch notes here.

Will Nicol
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Nicol is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends. He covers a variety of subjects, particularly emerging technologies, movies…
All Minecraft biomes, explained
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One of the most appealing things about Minecraft is how you begin each game with a random seed that creates a unique world to explore. That means that your basic tips and tricks will always be applicable, but the unique map means it will always be surprising. The various regions in the games are often called biomes and each one is home to different materials and mobs. Some are good for finding unique animals like armadillos, while others make finding villages easier. We have a lot more than just the few basic biomes the game launched with, so let's run through them all and what makes them unique.

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