Minecraft 24w10a Update - What's New
The snapshot that gave wolves nine variants, each tied to a biome, and moved wolves into new places such as savannas and sparse jungles. Data packs got component data in recipe results, slot predicates and data driven banner patterns.
Overview
Minecraft 24w10a is a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition, published on March 6, 2024. Snapshots are Mojang's weekly previews of in-progress features (development week 10 of 2024), shipped early so the community can test and report problems before anything is finalized. This one logs 12 changes you can try in a throwaway test world.
The work in this update spans wolf variants, changes, and technical. On the wolf variants side it brings Nine wolf variants: pale, woods, ashen, black, chestnut, rusty, spotted, striped and snowy and the biome decides the variant, with forests giving the common woods wolf.
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 Variants(5)
- Nine wolf variants: pale, woods, ashen, black, chestnut, rusty, spotted, striped and snowy
- The biome decides the variant, with forests giving the common woods wolf
- Wolves now also spawn in sparse jungles, savanna plateaus and wooded badlands
- The snowy wolf lives in groves and always walks alone
- Wolves can spawn on coarse dirt and podzol
#Changes(2)
- Groves only spawn rabbits, foxes and wolves as passive mobs
- Button tooltips no longer show when the pointer is outside the list
#Technical(5)
- Data pack version 34
- Recipe results can carry item component data
- New slots field in entity predicates and execute if items to check and count items
- Banner patterns are data driven
- Player heads store a custom_name and a profile field
Server Admin Migration Guide
- Snapshot only, not for a live server: keep production on the current release
- Data packs that give crafted items custom data can move to recipe component data
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 24w10a, 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 24w10a 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 24w10a.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Minecraft 24w10a released?
Minecraft 24w10a was released on March 6, 2024 as a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition.
What is new in 24w10a?
The snapshot that gave wolves nine variants, each tied to a biome, and moved wolves into new places such as savannas and sparse jungles. Data packs got component data in recipe results, slot predicates and data driven banner patterns. Notable entries include: Nine wolf variants: pale, woods, ashen, black, chestnut, rusty, spotted, striped and snowy; The biome decides the variant, with forests giving the common woods wolf; Wolves now also spawn in sparse jungles, savanna plateaus and wooded badlands. In total it documents 12 changes across 3 categories.
Should I use 24w10a on my main world?
No. 24w10a 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 24w10a 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 24w10a a preview of?
24w10a 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 24w10a?
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.