Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 Pre-Release 2: Bug Fixes Galore
What Changed
Mojang dropped a second pre-release for Java Edition 26.3 in the same week, a clear sign the team is in full bug-hunting mode ahead of the final release. Pre-releases ditch the usual weekly snapshot schedule so the developers can focus entirely on stability, and this one delivers.
UI Tweak
- IME candidate box removed from custom rendering. Input Method Editors (used for typing Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other languages) no longer use Minecraft's own rendering pipeline for the candidate word list. This eliminates the annoying twitching box that appeared while typing and restores proper IME support in fullscreen.
Technical / Data Pack Change
- Data Pack version bumped to 120.0. If you maintain a custom data pack, you'll need to update its declared version before using it with 26.3.
- Structure tag renamed. The tag
on_abandoned_camp_windsweptis nowon_abandoned_camp_windswept_forest, correctly reflecting the full biome name it generates in.
Notable Bug Fixes (30+ total)
- Sculk sensors now properly detect ice and snow melting.
- Block-breaking particles and sounds are visible and audible to nearby players again.
- Cave biomes no longer scramble the relief detail on exploration maps.
- A critical exploit is closed: player-caused damage during trading could let villager trades complete without any payment.
- Ruined portals can no longer overwrite End Portal frames during world generation.
- The game window now shows the Minecraft logo in the taskbar instead of the Java logo.
- Fullscreen mode issues on Windows, invisible cursors, windows stuck behind the game, and severe rendering errors on Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 devices, are all addressed.
- Saddled pigs riding inside boats carried by Happy Ghasts no longer cause severe desyncs.
- Goats move correctly again after being tempted mid-long-jump.
- Fog color during rain and thunder is back to its familiar tone instead of an overly blue tint.
- Input no longer freezes after using the Windows emoji panel shortcut (Win + .) in-game.
Why It Matters
The sheer number of fixes in a single pre-release shows how seriously Mojang is taking quality before the full 26.3 launch. Several of these patches directly improve the multiplayer experience, broken particles, missing sounds, and goat movement bugs all affect how the game feels when you're playing with friends. The free-trades exploit fix is particularly important for survival servers where a fair economy matters.
Java and Bedrock
This pre-release is Java Edition only. Bedrock Edition follows its own release track and is not affected by these specific fixes. Bedrock players on crossplay servers won't notice any change on their end from this update.
For Server Owners
If you run a vanilla or modded Java server, there are two action points:
- Data pack authors: Update your pack's version declaration to 120.0 and rename any reference to
on_abandoned_camp_windswepttoon_abandoned_camp_windswept_forest. - Plugin/mod authors: Review any loot context logic, several missing parameters and crash-causing
LootContextUserreferences were patched, which could affect custom loot table behaviour.
As always, do not run pre-releases on a live production server. Test in an isolated environment with a world backup first.
For Parents
Your child's Minecraft is not automatically updated to this version, pre-releases must be manually enabled in the Minecraft Launcher under the Installations tab. There is no need to do this unless your child specifically wants to test new features. Stick to the standard release version for day-to-day play; it's the most stable and safest option. The good news is that the fixes in this pre-release, especially the multiplayer particle and sound bugs, will eventually roll into the official release and make the shared experience with friends even smoother.
For Players
Want to try 26.3 Pre-Release 2 right now? Here's how:
- Open the Minecraft Launcher.
- Head to the Installations tab and toggle on Snapshots.
- Back up your worlds first! Pre-releases can sometimes corrupt save files.
- Create a new installation and select 26.3 Pre-Release 2 from the version list.
Some fun things to test: notice how block-breaking looks to your friends, check that sculk sensors react when you melt some ice, and see if exploration maps finally show proper surface detail over cave biomes!
Do SNT Kingdoms Need an Update?
No action needed, and SNT kingdoms cannot connect to 26.3 clients yet. Our kingdoms run on Paper 1.21.11 backends with a Velocity proxy, and players join using client versions 1.13 through 1.21.11 via ViaVersion, ViaBackwards, and ViaRewind. Mojang's new year-based versioning (26.x) is not yet supported by PaperMC, Velocity, or the Via family of plugins, so 26.3 Pre-Release 2 clients cannot connect to your kingdom at this time.
Our team monitors upstream projects closely. The moment stable, production-ready support for 26.x arrives across the full stack, we'll evaluate an upgrade path and communicate it to all kingdom owners. Until then, every world in your kingdom, Survival, SharedLife, RandomLoot, Chaos, Spleef, and Rivals, keeps running smoothly on 1.21.11 without any changes required on your part.