Minecraft update 2.26 focuses on bug fixes and item adjustments

Minecraft 1.17 Lightning Rod — (Image credit: Mojang)

The Minecraft update 2.26 is out right now for all players, bringing in a boatload of changes.

Headlining the new Minecraft update 2.26 is the introduction of candles for the first time. Thanks to the new update, you can acquire candles and then place them in clusters of up to four, setting them alight with just some Flint and Steel. There are also Azalea plants in flowering variants, perfect for sprucing up any creation.

Elsewhere, there are some "experimental gameplay" changes introduced in the Minecraft update 2.26. These changes include higher ceilings for blocks, and lower depths for you to build to, ideal for taking your creations to new heights or plummeting lows. There's also new biomes in the forms of Lofty Peaks, Snow Capped Peaks, Snowy Slopes, Mountain Grove, and Mountain Meadow.

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The new patch is bolstered by a tonne of gameplay fixes and adjustments. Firstly, the Nether Portals have been fixed to no longer accidentally teleport the player to the wrong location, and the underwater fog has been aligned with the correct biome. There's also fixes for the Java Edition, whereby thunderstorms occurrences are altered, and Bastion loot now closely matches the Java Edition itself.

There's also a host of updates and fixes for individual items in the Minecraft update. Projectiles, including snowballs, eggs, and more, no longer cast shadows, and all dropped items now have a similar floating height. Elsewhere, data-driven items now swing faster when not aimed at a block, and disenchanting an item using the Grindstone now displays the correct enchantment cost penalty afterward.

In all, it's a pretty sizeable update for Minecraft, even if only a smattering of new content is added into the game. Then again, it hasn't been too long at all since the Caves and Cliffs updates debuted in Mojang's creative game, so we're not exactly starved of content here.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.