Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 Snapshot 5: Transparency Fixes, Shader Overhaul & More
What Changed
Java Edition 26.3 Snapshot 5 rolled out on 21 July 2026, bumping the Data Pack version to 112.0 and the Resource Pack version to 92.0. The headline technical change is a thorough overhaul of how shaders are compiled and linked, alongside a handful of world-generation and gameplay bug fixes.
- Shader compilation now uses ShaderC for OpenGL, matching the Vulkan pipeline, a big step toward a unified rendering backend.
- #include replaces #moj_import for shader includes, aligning with the industry-standard GLSL preprocessor.
- Vertex outputs and fragment inputs are now matched by location, not by name, a breaking change for custom shader authors, but one that improves correctness and cross-platform consistency.
- A new define RENDERPEARL_INSTANCE_INDEX_INCLUDES_BASE_INSTANCE helps shader writers handle the subtle difference between Vulkan and OpenGL instance-index semantics.
- The B3D_IS_ZERO_TO_ONE define has been renamed to RENDERPEARL_IS_ZERO_TO_ONE, continuing the "RenderPearl" branding for depth-convention flags.
- On the data-pack side, codec for element lists and tags now allows mixing inline values with references, so item modifier lists like
[{type:set_count, …}, "minecraft:some_modifier"]are fully valid at last. - The minecraft:sculk_patch world-generation feature lost its
extra_rare_growthsandcatalyst_chancefields, streamlining the spec and eliminating a source of log errors.
Over 20 bugs were squashed, spanning everything from chat-delay kicks and decorated-pot brick drops to drowned attack animations and chunk-loading failures under specific conditions.
Why It Matters
Shader unification under ShaderC is one of those "quiet but enormous" changes. It means custom resource packs that touch shaders will behave more predictably across graphics cards and operating systems. The glass-flickering and block-outline-behind-glass rendering glitches that plagued Vulkan users are gone, and the Wayland fullscreen crash is fixed, great news for Linux players.
On the gameplay side, two decorated-pot fixes together close a long-standing loophole where pots wouldn't drop bricks even when they should. The chunk-loading failure fix is arguably the most impactful stability improvement in this snapshot, frequent chunk-load errors can make a world feel broken even when nothing is technically "wrong."
Java and Bedrock
This is a Java Edition-only snapshot. Bedrock Edition follows its own separate release cadence and is not affected by these changes. If you or your kids play on a Bedrock client (console, mobile, or Windows app), nothing changes for you today.
For Server Owners
A few items deserve your attention if you run a Java server:
- Data Pack version 112.0, if you use custom item modifiers, you can now freely mix inline definitions and named references in the same list. Clean up any workarounds you built around that limitation.
- Sculk patch configs, remove
extra_rare_growthsandcatalyst_chancefrom any custom world-generation JSON that referencesminecraft:sculk_patch, or your pack will fail validation. - Custom resource packs with shaders, the switch to ShaderC and location-based vertex matching is a breaking change. Test your shader packs before deploying this snapshot to players. Preserve compatibility by specifying locations only under the
VULKANmacro and continuing to use matching names for vertex outputs and fragment inputs. - The server-crash fix for
/attributeinside/executeis a meaningful stability win for command-heavy setups.
For Parents
No changes to content ratings, chat, or safety features in this snapshot. The most parent-relevant fix is the chat-delay kick bug, previously, kids who had a small chat delay set in their options could sometimes get unexpectedly booted from a server just for sending messages. That's now resolved. Overall, this is a technical maintenance release rather than a content update, so there's nothing new to worry about or get excited about on the content front just yet.
For Players
Here's what you'll actually notice in-game:
- Glass and transparent blocks look correct again, no more flickering glass or block outlines weirdly poking through water and stained glass when Improved Transparency is on.
- Decorated pots finally drop bricks reliably, whether you dig one up naturally or craft one without sherds, breaking it with a tool will now give you your bricks back properly.
- The Ender Dragon looks right again, its neck and tail no longer detach from its body mid-turn. Dragon fights just got a little more epic.
- Drowned attack animations are fixed, underwater mobs move the way they're supposed to.
- Gurgles now aim their tridents correctly, watch out!
- Blaze powder in brewing stands now speeds things up at the right rate, a small but satisfying potion-brewing fix.
Do SNT Kingdoms Need an Update?
No action needed, and SNT kingdoms cannot run this snapshot even if you wanted to. Our kingdoms run on Paper 1.21.11 backends behind a Velocity proxy, with PaperMC, Velocity, and the ViaVersion/ViaBackwards/ViaRewind suite all still on Mojang's traditional version numbering. None of these projects have yet migrated to support the new year-based 26.x client versions.
That means players using a 26.3 Snapshot 5 client cannot connect to SNT kingdoms right now, stick to client versions 1.13 through 1.21.11 to keep playing without interruption. We're watching the upstream projects closely and will update kingdoms the moment the full 26.x ecosystem is stable and supported. As always, your worlds are safe, fully backed up, and managed, you don't need to do a thing.