Biome
Four new Nether biomes
Crimson and Warped Forests grow huge fungi instead of trees, Soul Sand Valley has soul soil and fossils, and Basalt Deltas are covered in basalt columns and falling ash.
Minecraft 1.16.5
Released on 14 January 2021, Minecraft Java Edition 1.16.5 is the final release of the Nether Update (1.16). It fixes two critical stability issues and is network compatible with 1.16.4. It is the last version to run on Java 8 and is still widely used for Forge and Fabric modpacks.
Released 14 Jan 2021 Resource pack format 6 Data version 2586
Key takeaways
- Stability fixes: 1.16.5 fixes two critical stability issues, which Mojang did not detail to protect servers that had not yet updated.
- Nether biomes: Crimson Forest, Warped Forest, Soul Sand Valley and Basalt Deltas, while the old Nether biome became Nether Wastes.
- New mobs: Piglins that barter for Gold Ingots, Hoglins, Zoglins and Striders that live on lava.
- Netherite: Ancient Debris is refined into Netherite Scrap, and four scrap plus four Gold Ingots make a Netherite Ingot.
- Structures: Bastion Remnants in the Nether and Ruined Portals in the Overworld and the Nether.
Headline features
The changes you will notice first, with the pages that go deeper.
Items
Netherite
A Netherite Ingot upgrades diamond gear at the Smithing Table. Netherite items are tougher and more durable than diamond, give knockback resistance and float in lava.
Blocks
Respawn Anchor, Lodestone, Target
The Respawn Anchor holds up to four Glowstone charges, one per respawn. A compass used on a Lodestone points to it, and a Target gives a stronger redstone signal the closer a hit lands to its centre.
What changed
FixesFixes two critical stability issues. Mojang did not publish details, to protect servers that had not yet updated.
ServersNetwork compatible with 1.16.4: players still on 1.16.4 can join servers running 1.16.5.
ServersMojang strongly encouraged all server owners to update as soon as possible to apply the stability fixes.
Mods & loaders for 1.16.5
Mods must be rebuilt for each version. Counts from the files published on Modrinth and CurseForge, in our catalog.
Popular mods Sodium · AvailableJust Enough Items (JEI) · AvailableFabric API · AvailableLithium · AvailableIris Shaders · AvailableOptiFine · Available
269 mods in our catalog have a 1.16.5 file → 184 texture packs and 59 maps in our catalog support 1.16.5. → How to play 1.16.5
- 01
Open the Minecraft Launcher and select Minecraft: Java Edition.
- 02
Go to Installations, create a new installation and choose version 1.16.5.
- 03
Back up your worlds before opening them in a new version.
From first snapshot to release
0 snapshots, 0 pre-releases and 1 release candidates over 1 days.
- 1.16.5-rc113 Jan 2021
- 1.16.514 Jan 2021
Minecraft 1.16.5 FAQ
When was Minecraft 1.16.5 released?
On 14 January 2021. It is the final release of the Nether Update, which launched as 1.16 on 23 June 2020. The next major version was 1.17.
Which Java version does Minecraft 1.16.5 need?
Java 8. It is the last Java Edition release that runs on Java 8: 1.17 moved to Java 16.
Why do modpacks still use 1.16.5?
As the final, stable build of the Nether Update, 1.16.5 is still a common target for Forge and Fabric mods and modpacks. A mod only loads on the game version it was built for, so a 1.16.5 modpack needs exactly 1.16.5.
Should I update from 1.16.4 to 1.16.5?
Yes, especially if you run a server: 1.16.5 fixes two critical stability issues. Players on 1.16.4 can still join 1.16.5 servers in the meantime.