Minecraft 24w40a Update - What's New
First look at the pale garden biome with pale oak trees, hanging moss, and the Creaking mob linked to Creaking Heart blocks.
Overview
Minecraft 24w40a is a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition, published on October 2, 2024. Snapshots are Mojang's weekly previews of in-progress features (development week 40 of 2024), shipped early so the community can test and report problems before anything is finalized. This one logs 10 changes you can try in a throwaway test world.
The work in this update spans gameplay, mobs, and blocks & items. On the gameplay side it brings pale garden biome and Pale garden features pale oak trees with hanging pale moss.
This build is part of the development cycle leading to 1.21 (Tricky Trials). 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
#Gameplay(3)
- Added pale garden biome
- Pale garden features pale oak trees with hanging pale moss
- Eerie ambient atmosphere with unique particles
#Mobs(3)
- Added Creaking mob (hostile, linked to Creaking Heart)
- Creaking freezes when players look at it
- Creaking is invulnerable - destroy its Creaking Heart instead
#Blocks & Items(4)
- Added pale oak log, wood, planks, and all variants
- Added Creaking Heart block (spawns inside pale oak trees)
- Added pale hanging moss
- Added eyeblossom (open/closed cycle with day/night)
Server Admin Migration Guide
- Snapshot only - do not use in production
Known Issues
- Pale garden generation still being tuned
- Creaking behavior needs refinement
What This Means
For players
Snapshots are opt-in through the official launcher. Always make a copy of any world before opening it in 24w40a, 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 24w40a 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 1.21; 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 24w40a.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Minecraft 24w40a released?
Minecraft 24w40a was released on October 2, 2024 as a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition.
What is new in 24w40a?
First look at the pale garden biome with pale oak trees, hanging moss, and the Creaking mob linked to Creaking Heart blocks. Notable entries include: Added pale garden biome; Pale garden features pale oak trees with hanging pale moss; Eerie ambient atmosphere with unique particles. In total it documents 10 changes across 3 categories.
Should I use 24w40a on my main world?
No. 24w40a 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 24w40a on a Minecraft server?
It is not recommended for a public server. Snapshot only - do not use in production. Use a private staging instance to test plugins and mods, not to host players.
Which Minecraft version is 24w40a a preview of?
24w40a is part of the development cycle for 1.21, the update known as Tricky Trials. Features shown here are still in progress and may change before the final release.
Are there known issues in 24w40a?
Yes. Documented issues for this build include: Pale garden generation still being tuned; Creaking behavior needs refinement. 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.