Minecraft 25w16a Update - What's New
The second snapshot toward Chase the Skies. Leads were reworked so mobs can be leashed to each other or to a boat, a happy ghast can carry a boat or a large mob, and clouds now reach the horizon.
Overview
Minecraft 25w16a is a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition, published on April 15, 2025. Snapshots are Mojang's weekly previews of in-progress features (development week 16 of 2025), shipped early so the community can test and report problems before anything is finalized. This one logs 8 changes you can try in a throwaway test world.
The work in this update spans leads, changes, and technical. On the leads side it brings Leads can tie two mobs together, and sneaking on a mob moves all your leashed mobs onto it and Shears cut leads, and dispensers with shears can do it too.
This build is part of the development cycle leading to 1.21.6 (the Chase the Skies drop). 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
#Leads(4)
- Leads can tie two mobs together, and sneaking on a mob moves all your leashed mobs onto it
- Shears cut leads, and dispensers with shears can do it too
- Leads are drawn twice as thick and their physics were reworked
- A happy ghast can carry a boat or a horse, donkey, mule, camel or sniffer on four leads
#Changes(3)
- Clouds render all the way to the horizon
- A firework used while gliding with elytra only boosts, even when aimed at a block
- The fix for the Nether portal teleport range was reverted
#Technical(1)
- Data pack version 73 and resource pack version 57
Server Admin Migration Guide
- Snapshot only, not for a live server: keep production on the current release
- Farms and mob transport that rely on leads behave differently with the new leash physics
Known Issues
- Development snapshot, features can still change before 1.21.6
What This Means
For players
Snapshots are opt-in through the official launcher. Always make a copy of any world before opening it in 25w16a, 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 25w16a 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 1.21.6 (the Chase the Skies drop); 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 25w16a.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Minecraft 25w16a released?
Minecraft 25w16a was released on April 15, 2025 as a weekly development snapshot for Minecraft: Java Edition.
What is new in 25w16a?
The second snapshot toward Chase the Skies. Leads were reworked so mobs can be leashed to each other or to a boat, a happy ghast can carry a boat or a large mob, and clouds now reach the horizon. Notable entries include: Leads can tie two mobs together, and sneaking on a mob moves all your leashed mobs onto it; Shears cut leads, and dispensers with shears can do it too; Leads are drawn twice as thick and their physics were reworked. In total it documents 8 changes across 3 categories.
Should I use 25w16a on my main world?
No. 25w16a 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 25w16a 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 25w16a a preview of?
25w16a is part of the development cycle for 1.21.6 (the Chase the Skies drop). Features shown here are still in progress and may change before the final release.
Are there known issues in 25w16a?
Yes. Documented issues for this build include: Development snapshot, features can still change before 1.21.6. 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.