Minecraft: Java Edition ยท Game update
Minecraft 1.21.5: Spring to Life
Spring to Life filled the overworld with new plant life and gave pigs, cows and chickens cold and warm biome variants. It also added the /test command framework, several new data components and two new game rules.
- Released
- Server needs
- Java 21
- Protocol
- 770
Seven days free, no card. Pick 1.21.5 when you create the server, or switch an existing one from the panel.
What is new in Minecraft 1.21.5
The additions people noticed first, then everything else by area.
- Cold and warm variants for pigs, cows and chickens
- Leaf litter, wildflowers, bushes and firefly bushes added
- Fallen trees and cactus flowers generate naturally
- Wolves gained six new sound variants
- New /test command framework for structured testing
- Beacon beams now render beyond 16 chunks
Blocks and items
- Leaf litter generates in forests
- Wildflowers generate in birch forests and meadows
- Bushes and firefly bushes added, fireflies give glowing particles
- Cactus flowers added
- Blue and brown egg variants hatch matching chicken types
- New village explorer maps point to biome specific structures
Mobs
- Cold and warm pig, cow and chicken variants spawn by biome temperature
- Offspring inherit their parents' variant
- Sheep colors now follow biome specific distribution
- Wolves gained Classic, Big, Cute, Puglin, Angry, Grumpy and Sad sounds
- Cartographers offer seven new location maps
- Wandering traders buy supplies and sell logs and enchanted tools
World and biomes
- Fallen trees in four wood types now generate naturally
- Pale garden expanded and woodland mansions can generate there
Gameplay
- Beacon beams render beyond 16 chunks
- Falling over 2.5 blocks in leather boots breaks powder snow
- Random ticks apply across the whole simulation distance
Commands and technical
- New /test command system for structured testing
- New blocks_attacks, break_sound, tooltip_display and weapon components
- NBT and SNBT gained heterogeneous list support
- Game rules allowFireTicksAwayFromPlayer and tntExplodes added
- /fill, /clone and /setblock gained a strict placement option
Running a Minecraft 1.21.5 server
What the release means for whoever runs the server.
- Requires Java SE 21, an LTS release
- Network protocol 770
- Data pack format 71
- Resource pack format 55
- Random ticks now run in all simulation distance chunks, not just near players
Before you update a world: take a backup. A world opened in 1.21.5 cannot be opened in an older version again. How backups work here.
1.21.5 on FadeHost
- The right Java, set for you
- A 1.21.5 server needs Java 21, and the panel starts it with a Java that fits. Nothing to install, nothing to pick.
- Server software for 1.21.5
- PaperPurpurVanillaFabricForgeNeoForge
- Who can join
- Players on 1.21.5. Other versions need plugins such as ViaVersion on a Paper server.
Questions about 1.21.5
When was Minecraft 1.21.5 released?
Minecraft: Java Edition 1.21.5, Spring to Life, was released on March 25, 2025.
What Java version does a Minecraft 1.21.5 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 1.21.5 add?
Spring to Life filled the overworld with new plant life and gave pigs, cows and chickens cold and warm biome variants. It also added the /test command framework, several new data components and two new game rules.
Can players on another version join a 1.21.5 server?
Only players on 1.21.5 itself: its network protocol (770) 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 1.21.5?
Yes. Take a backup, switch the server to 1.21.5 and start it: the world is converted on the first boot. A world opened in 1.21.5 cannot be opened in an older version again, so keep the backup until you are sure.
How do I start a Minecraft 1.21.5 server?
Create a server on FadeHost and pick 1.21.5 in the software list: Paper, Purpur, Vanilla, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge 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 1.21.4 The Garden Awakens
December 3, 2024
The release after
Minecraft 1.21.6 Chase the Skies
June 17, 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 1.21.5. Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang; FadeHost is not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.