Minecraft adds challenging new mob and spawner, try them now

Mojang releases a new Minecraft preview of its upcoming 1.21 update, allowing players to try out the new Breeze mob and Trial Spawner.

Minecraft new Breeze mob, a light purple block creature with spiraling grey wind around it

Minecraft is only getting bigger and better as time goes on, with frequent updates and new content dropping from Mojang. One of the most exciting patches is coming up, the 1.21 update, adding a variety of content from new mobs to blocks. One of the cutest additions, a stormy hostile mob known as the Breeze, is now here alongside the game’s new Trial Chambers and the Trial Spawner in the latest playable Minecraft preview, version 1.20.60.20.

I always find myself coming back to Minecraft, my all-time favorite and most timeless sandbox game. Mojang is constantly adding something to the decade-old game, pulling both old and new fans in to experience its blocky charm. With update 1.21 underway, excitement is at a high within the Minecraft community. Through some of the game’s preview versions and snapshots, we’ve been able to test out the upcoming features.

The latest preview, or snapshot depending on whether or not you’re playing the Bedrock or Java edition, sees us go up against Minecraft’s cute yet hostile mob, the Breeze. This spinny guy packs the punch of a powerful tornado. The Breeze isn’t the only thing added in the recent preview and snapshot, though, as we can now test out the game’s Trial Chambers and new Trial Spawner.

Trial Chambers add to Minecraft’s underground experience, acting as structures filled with traps, Trial Spawners, mobs, and treasure. Trial Spawners are mob spawner variants found only within the new Trial Chambers. They eject weighted rewards and spawn mobs in waves that vary in size depending on the number of players present. With these three new features, we get to take on fresh challenges in Minecraft.

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Minecraft – Preview 1.20.60.20 –  Wednesday, November 15, 2023

For a full look at all of the changes with the new preview and snapshot, check the official website. You can browse through the highlights below, including information about the Breeze, Trial Chambers, and the Trial Spawner. Mojang does disclose that this version is a “work-in-progress” and “can be unstable.” It is a test version and “not representative of the final version’s quality.”

Experimental features

Breeze Mob

  • Cunning, hostile mob that can spawn via Trial Spawner in some rooms within the Trial Chambers
  • Moves primarily by leaping around the target, sometimes jumping quite long distances
  • Shoots volatile wind energy in the form of wind-charge projectiles at its target
  • Wind charges deal a small amount of damage when colliding directly with an entity
  • After colliding with an entity or a block, wind charge projectiles produce a wind burst, which knocks back entities in the area by several blocks
  • Wind bursts also have the effect of ‘activating’ certain blocks:
    • Non-Iron Doors and Trapdoors are flipped
    • Fence Gates are flipped
    • Buttons are pressed
    • Levers are flipped
    • Bells are rung and swung
    • Lit Candles (both standalone and on cake) are extinguished
  • Wind bursts do not have any effect on Iron Doors, Iron Trapdoors, or any block being held in its position by a Redstone signal

Trial Chambers

  • New structure in the Overworld where players can explore and take on combat challenges during the mid-game
    • Made out of a variety of Copper and Tuff blocks and can be found in different sizes from large to small
    • Relatively common find throughout the Deepslate layer of the underground
  • The layout of each Trial Chamber is procedurally generated and can include traps, reward chests, and a variety of combat spaces
    • Supply chests can be found between different rooms, and give you blocks and items which help you navigate your trials
    • Reward chests are guarded by challenges in each room, and can be a source of enchanted books and equipment
    • The loot found in reward chests is still being iterated and is absolutely not final
  • Each Trial Chamber will include Trial Spawners with a melee, small melee, or ranged category:
    • Melee
      • Zombie
      • Husk
      • Slime
    • Small Melee
      • Spider
      • Cave Spider
      • Baby Zombie
      • Silverfish
    • Ranged
      • Skeleton
      • Stray
  • Each Trial Spawner category will only use one mob for the entire structure when generated, and these mobs are randomized for each Trial Chamber
    • For example, one Trial Chamber might only spawn Zombies, Cave Spiders, and Strays, while another might only spawn Slimes, Silverfish, and Skeletons
    • The exceptions to this are some Trial Spawners in unique rooms which always spawn Breezes

Trial Spawner

  • New variant of Monster Spawners that ejects rewards upon completion and can have variable levels of challenge in multiplayer
  • The challenge level will increase for each new player a Trial Spawner notices nearby
    • Challenge level will not decrease until it is reset during a Trial Spawner’s cooldown
  • Unlike normal spawners, a Trial Spawner will spawn a limited number of mobs proportional to its current challenge level
    • It can only spawn a mob at positions that are within line of sight
    • It can spawn a mob regardless of any light level requirement the mob has
    • Spawned mobs are persistent
  • Once all mobs are defeated, the Trial Spawner will eject a set of rewards proportional to the current challenge level
    • After the rewards have been ejected, the Trial Spawner goes into cooldown for 30 minutes during which it will no longer spawn mobs
  • Cannot be crafted nor obtained by players in Survival – instead, they can be found naturally placed throughout Trial Chambers
  • Extremely slow to mine and resistant to explosions, and will not drop even with Silk Touch
  • When placed in Creative, Trial Spawners have no mob type set by default
    • The mob type can be set by interacting with it while holding a Spawn Egg
  • Creative and Spectator players cannot be detected or noticed by Trial Spawners

Browse through our roundup of great Minecraft mods to spice your base game up before the upcoming 1.21 patch arrives with all of the additional new content. Alternatively, look around our list of the greatest Minecraft texture packs to make your world feel fresh and more visually appealing. If you’re anything like me, then aesthetics are everything.

While you wait to go up against the new Breeze mob yourself, make sure to also follow us on Google News for daily PC gaming news, guides, and reviews.