Minecraft Java 26.3 Snapshot 9: Render Distance Sliders, Enderman Fixes & Big Technical Upgrades
What Changed
Mojang pushed Java Edition 26.3 Snapshot 9 a full day ahead of its usual Tuesday schedule, and it's packed. Here are the headline changes:
- Realms render distance slider, owners can now push view distance up to 25 chunks and set render distance and simulation distance independently, letting them tune performance vs. visual quality.
- Enderman behaviour overhaul, Endermen now take projectile damage when riding a vehicle (no more hiding in a minecart!), and both Endermen and Shulkers can no longer teleport onto Bedrock or the Nether roof.
- macOS right-click emulation, a new option lets Mac players use Control + left-click as a right-click. It's off by default.
- Data Pack version bumped to 117.0, new number-provider types (
product,minimum,maximum,average), new block/item/potion tags, and stricter advancement validation rules. - Graphics fixes, black screenshots on Intel Gen7 GPUs, screen tearing with Vulkan, laggy OpenGL, and broken animated-block rendering (water, lava) are all addressed.
- Dozens of bug fixes, including lag spikes when placing/breaking blocks, brewing-stand slots rejecting glass bottles, and the Java logo appearing as the taskbar icon instead of the game's logo.
Why It Matters
The render-distance controls are the most immediately noticeable change for everyday players. Being able to see further, up to 25 chunks, dramatically improves how a world feels, while the separate simulation-distance slider means the server only has to tick (run logic for) the area that actually needs it. That's a smarter use of resources, not just a bigger view.
The Enderman fixes close a cluster of long-standing bugs, some dating back years. Endermen behaving unpredictably, attacking from impossible distances, teleporting outside world borders, or ignoring projectiles while riding, have been a source of genuine frustration. This snapshot brings their behaviour much closer to what players expect.
The graphics engine repairs are significant too. Vulkan and OpenGL issues were causing stuttering and visual artefacts for a wide range of hardware. Smoother performance means more enjoyable sessions for everyone.
Java and Bedrock
This is a Java Edition-only snapshot. Bedrock Edition is on a separate release track and receives its own updates independently. If your household mixes Java and Bedrock players, nothing changes on the Bedrock side with this release.
For Server Owners
The most actionable item here is the Data Pack version bump to 117.0. If you maintain custom data packs for your server, check the following:
- Root advancements must now always declare a background field; the validator will reject packs that don't.
- The
minecraft:sumnumber provider'ssummandsfield has been renamed tooperands, update any references. - Four new number providers (
product,minimum,maximum,average) open up cleaner loot-table and advancement logic. - New block tags like #enderman_does_not_teleport_to and #shulker_does_not_teleport_to give mapmakers fine-grained control over teleportation behaviour without custom plugins.
The lag spikes when placing or breaking blocks (MC-310735) are also worth noting, the fix alone may improve the feel of busy survival servers once the stable release lands.
For Parents
Snapshots are pre-release test builds and are not intended for everyday play. They can be unstable or introduce new bugs. Your child's regular Minecraft installation will not be affected unless they deliberately switch to the snapshot channel in the Java launcher. The stable version of the game remains unchanged.
The Enderman fixes in this snapshot are good news for younger players in particular, those mobs behaving erratically has caused many a stressful survival session. When these fixes reach the full release, gameplay should feel noticeably fairer.
For Players
Want to try it? Open the Minecraft Launcher, go to Installations, enable snapshots, and create a new installation for 26.3 Snapshot 9. Always back up your worlds first, snapshots can sometimes change world data in ways that aren't reversible.
The coolest bits to explore:
- Try fighting an Enderman while it's riding a boat, it'll actually take arrow damage now!
- If you're on a Mac, look for the new right-click emulation option under Controls.
- Notice how much further you can see if you're playing on a Realm with the new distance sliders cranked up.
Do SNT Kingdoms Need an Update?
No action needed, and SNT kingdoms cannot run 26.x clients yet anyway. Here's the full picture:
SNT kingdoms run Paper 1.21.11 backends behind a Velocity proxy, with ViaVersion/ViaBackwards/ViaRewind handling client compatibility for versions 1.13 through 1.21.11. Mojang's new year-based versioning (26.x) is a different format that PaperMC, Velocity, and the Via ecosystem have not yet migrated to, so players using a 26.x snapshot client cannot connect to SNT kingdoms at this time.
The Enderman behaviour fixes, graphics improvements, and Data Pack changes in this snapshot will only matter to SNT kingdoms once they eventually land in a stable 1.x release and the full server software stack catches up. When that happens, our team monitors every release and handles all updates automatically, you don't need to do a thing. Your kingdom keeps running smoothly either way.