Structure
Ocean Monument
An underwater structure built from Prismarine and lit by Sea Lanterns. It is defended by Guardians, a new mob with item drops.
Minecraft 1.8 “Bountiful Update”
Released on 2 September 2014, Minecraft Java Edition 1.8, the Bountiful Update, adds Ocean Monuments guarded by Guardians, Rabbits, Endermites, Granite, Diorite and Andesite, Slime Blocks, Banners and Armor Stands. It also brings Spectator mode, the Customized world type and new commands such as /fill, /clone and /execute.
Released 02 Sept 2014
Key takeaways
- Ocean Monuments: underwater structures built from Prismarine and lit by Sea Lanterns, guarded by Guardians with their own item drops.
- New mobs: Guardians, Endermites and Rabbits. Sheep now drop Raw Mutton.
- New blocks: Granite, Diorite and Andesite with polished versions, Red Sandstone, Coarse Dirt, Slime Blocks, Iron Trapdoors, plus doors and fences in every wood type.
- Spectator mode: a new game mode, number 3, alongside Survival, Creative and Adventure.
- Commands: /fill, /clone, /execute, /title, /worldborder, /blockdata, /particle, /testforblocks, /trigger and /stats, plus the @e target selector.
Headline features
The changes you will notice first, with the pages that go deeper.
Items
Banners, Armor Stands and Slime Blocks
Banners can be customised with colours and patterns, and Armor Stands display armour. The Slime Block and the Iron Trapdoor join the redstone toolbox.
What changed
GameplayEnchanting was redone: it now costs Lapis Lazuli in addition to experience levels.
GameplayVillager trading and Anvil repairs were rebalanced, and Villagers now harvest crops and plant new ones.
BlocksThe Sponge absorbs water again and becomes a Wet Sponge. Mossy Cobblestone, Mossy Stone Bricks and Chiseled Stone Bricks can now be crafted.
WorldNew Customized world type, a hidden Debug Mode world type and a world border. Difficulty is saved per world and can be locked.
GraphicsClient performance is considerably faster and the maximum render distance rises to 32 chunks (512 blocks).
TechnicalNumeric block IDs (1 for stone) give way to names (minecraft:stone), and resource packs can now define the shape of blocks and items.
SkinsSkins can have a second layer over the whole model, and a new model with slimmer arms comes with a new skin, Alex.
Mods & loaders for 1.8
Mods must be rebuilt for each version. Counts from the files published on Modrinth and CurseForge, in our catalog.
33 mods in our catalog have a 1.8 file →36 texture packs and 40 maps in our catalog support 1.8.
How to play 1.8
- 01
Open the Minecraft Launcher and select Minecraft: Java Edition.
- 02
Go to Installations, create a new installation and choose version 1.8.
- 03
Back up your worlds before opening them in a new version.
From first snapshot to release
52 snapshots, 3 pre-releases and 0 release candidates over 236 days.
- 14w02a09 Jan 2014
- 14w25a18 Jun 2014
- 14w34d20 Aug 2014
- 1.8-pre121 Aug 2014
- 1.802 Sept 2014
Minecraft 1.8 FAQ
When was Minecraft 1.8 released?
On 2 September 2014, for Java Edition. Development started with snapshot 14w02a on 9 January 2014 and ended with three pre-releases.
What does the Bountiful Update add?
Ocean Monuments with Guardians, Rabbits and Endermites, Granite, Diorite and Andesite, Slime Blocks, Banners, Armor Stands, Spectator mode, the Customized world type and many new commands for map makers.
Which Java version does Minecraft 1.8 need?
Java 8. The official launcher runs 1.8 with its own Java 8 runtime.
What came after Minecraft 1.8?
Nine bug-fix versions, from 1.8.1 on 24 November 2014 to 1.8.9 in December 2015. The next major update, 1.9, the Combat Update, came out on 29 February 2016.