Minecraft: Java Edition ยท Game update
Minecraft 1.21.4: The Garden Awakens
The Garden Awakens added the pale garden biome with pale oak trees, resin blocks and the creaking, a hostile mob that freezes while a player looks at it. It also removed automatic damage immunity on respawn and replaced the legacy resource pack override system with item model definitions.
- Released
- Server needs
- Java 21
- Protocol
- 769
Seven days free, no card. Pick 1.21.4 when you create the server, or switch an existing one from the panel.
What is new in Minecraft 1.21.4
The additions people noticed first, then everything else by area.
- New pale garden biome with pale oak trees and moss
- The creaking, a hostile mob tied to a creaking heart block
- Full pale oak wood set plus resin blocks and resin bricks
- Eyeblossom flowers open and close with the day cycle
- Item model definitions replace resource pack overrides
- Respawning no longer grants free damage immunity
Blocks and items
- Pale oak logs, planks, stairs, doors and signs added
- Resin clumps, resin blocks and resin bricks added
- Eyeblossoms open and close with the day and night cycle
- Creaking heart block generates inside pale oak trees
Mobs
- The creaking spawns at night in the pale garden
- It freezes while a player looks directly at it
- Each creaking is linked to a creaking heart block
- Damaging a creaking makes its heart drop resin
World and biomes
- New pale garden biome with desaturated gray coloring
- Pale moss blocks, pale moss carpet and hanging moss generate there
- No music and no natural animal spawns in the biome
Gameplay
- Respawning no longer grants automatic damage immunity
- Water Breathing and Conduit Power now increase oxygen underwater
Commands and technical
- New item model definitions system replaces legacy overrides
- Biome music now defined with weighted lists
- GUI sprites reorganized for consistency across menus
Running a Minecraft 1.21.4 server
What the release means for whoever runs the server.
- Requires Java SE 21
- Network protocol 769
- Data pack format 61
- Resource pack format 46
- Resource packs need rewriting for item model definitions
Before you update a world: take a backup. A world opened in 1.21.4 cannot be opened in an older version again. How backups work here.
1.21.4 on FadeHost
- The right Java, set for you
- A 1.21.4 server needs Java 21, and the panel starts it with a Java that fits. Nothing to install, nothing to pick.
- Server software for 1.21.4
- PaperPurpurVanillaFabricForgeNeoForgeMohist
- Who can join
- Players on 1.21.4. Other versions need plugins such as ViaVersion on a Paper server.
Questions about 1.21.4
When was Minecraft 1.21.4 released?
Minecraft: Java Edition 1.21.4, The Garden Awakens, was released on December 3, 2024.
What Java version does a Minecraft 1.21.4 server need?
Java 21. On FadeHost the server starts with the right Java for its Minecraft version on its own, so there is nothing to install or switch.
What did Minecraft 1.21.4 add?
The Garden Awakens added the pale garden biome with pale oak trees, resin blocks and the creaking, a hostile mob that freezes while a player looks at it. It also removed automatic damage immunity on respawn and replaced the legacy resource pack override system with item model definitions.
Can players on another version join a 1.21.4 server?
Only players on 1.21.4 itself: its network protocol (769) is its own. A Paper server can let other versions in with plugins such as ViaVersion and ViaBackwards.
Can I update my world to Minecraft 1.21.4?
Yes. Take a backup, switch the server to 1.21.4 and start it: the world is converted on the first boot. A world opened in 1.21.4 cannot be opened in an older version again, so keep the backup until you are sure.
How do I start a Minecraft 1.21.4 server?
Create a server on FadeHost and pick 1.21.4 in the software list: Paper, Purpur, Vanilla, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Mohist are there for this version. It is online in about a minute. The free tier runs a 2 GB server at no cost, and a paid server is sized to the RAM you need.
The release before
Minecraft 1.21.3
October 23, 2024
The release after
Minecraft 1.21.5 Spring to Life
March 25, 2025
Read on
Change a server's version
Version, software and loader build are one setting in the panel.
Java version errors
What the wrong Java looks like in the console, and why it does not happen here.
RAM calculator
How much memory a server needs, sized from servers measured on our nodes.
Every Minecraft version
All releases, what each one added and the Java it needs.
Release facts from the Minecraft Wiki:Java Edition 1.21.4. Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang; FadeHost is not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.