Minecraft 24w09a Update - What's New
A bigger snapshot for 1.20.5 with a second pass on wolf armor, a fresher look for the menus and many technical changes. Wolf armor now soaks up damage until it breaks, shows cracks as it wears down and can be dyed and repaired.
Overview
Minecraft 24w09a is a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition, published on February 28, 2024. Snapshots are Mojang's weekly previews of in-progress features (development week 9 of 2024), shipped early so the community can test and report problems before anything is finalized. This one logs 14 changes you can try in a throwaway test world.
The work in this update spans wolf armor, ui, experimental features, changes, and technical. On the wolf armor side it brings Wolf armor protects the wolf from most damage until its durability runs out and the armor shows visible cracks as durability goes down.
This build is part of the development cycle leading to 1.20.5 (the Armored Paws update, on the road to 1.21). Treat it as a preview rather than a destination: features can change, be renamed, or be cut entirely before they reach the stable release, so it is meant for testing and feedback, not for your main world or a live server.
Changes
#Wolf Armor(4)
- Wolf armor protects the wolf from most damage until its durability runs out
- The armor shows visible cracks as durability goes down
- It can be repaired with armadillo scutes while the wolf wears it, by the owner
- It can be dyed like leather armor
#UI(4)
- Menus use a darkened, blurred background instead of the dirt texture
- The blur strength can be set in the accessibility settings
- The dirt background moved to the Programmer Art resource pack
- The End Poem and credits show on an animated End Portal background
#Experimental Features(3)
- Shearing a bogged drops two mushrooms, and its texture and model were updated
- Wind charges have a fixed burst radius
- The vault texture was changed again to stand apart from trial spawners
#Changes(1)
- Picking a renamed block in Creative Mode gives the renamed item
#Technical(2)
- Data pack version 33 and resource pack version 28
- Item stack components replace most item NBT
Server Admin Migration Guide
- Snapshot only, not for a live server: keep production on the current release
- Plugins and data packs that read item NBT have to move to item components
Known Issues
- Development snapshot for 1.20.5, features could still change before the release
What This Means
For players
Snapshots are opt-in through the official launcher. Always make a copy of any world before opening it in 24w09a, because development builds can corrupt saves and there is no guarantee the world will open in a later version. Use a fresh test world to try the new content safely.
For server admins
Do not run 24w09a on a public server. Snapshots are unsupported by server software and most plugins. Spin up a private staging instance, confirm your plugins load, and report regressions while there is still time to fix them before release.
Background & Context
- Snapshots ship roughly once a week during active development and are enabled through the "Latest snapshot" toggle in the official launcher.
- The content here was being developed toward 1.20.5 (the Armored Paws update, on the road to 1.21); individual features may have been adjusted, renamed, or removed before that version shipped.
- Always keep a backup of important worlds before changing versions; the Astroworld versions database tracks client and server compatibility for 24w09a.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Minecraft 24w09a released?
Minecraft 24w09a was released on February 28, 2024 as a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition.
What is new in 24w09a?
A bigger snapshot for 1.20.5 with a second pass on wolf armor, a fresher look for the menus and many technical changes. Wolf armor now soaks up damage until it breaks, shows cracks as it wears down and can be dyed and repaired. Notable entries include: Wolf armor protects the wolf from most damage until its durability runs out; The armor shows visible cracks as durability goes down; It can be repaired with armadillo scutes while the wolf wears it, by the owner. In total it documents 14 changes across 5 categories.
Should I use 24w09a on my main world?
No. 24w09a is a weekly development snapshot meant for testing. Keep your main world on the latest stable release and only open a backup copy in a separate test world to try the new content.
Can I run 24w09a on a Minecraft server?
It is not recommended for a public server. Snapshot only, not for a live server: keep production on the current release. Use a private staging instance to test plugins and mods, not to host players.
Which Minecraft version is 24w09a a preview of?
24w09a is part of the development cycle for 1.20.5 (the Armored Paws update, on the road to 1.21). Features shown here are still in progress and may change before the final release.
Are there known issues in 24w09a?
Yes. Documented issues for this build include: Development snapshot for 1.20.5, features could still change before the release. Development builds are expected to have rough edges that get fixed before release.
Looking for version compatibility info?
Check client and server version details on our versions database.