Minecraft Java Snapshot 26.3-rc-1 Is Out, Here's What You Need to Know
What Changed
On 10 September 2026, Mojang published Minecraft: Java Edition snapshot 26.3-rc-1, the first release candidate in the 26.3 cycle. A release candidate is a milestone build that says, in effect, "this is what the final release will look like unless something critical turns up." In other words, the feature freeze is on, and Mojang's attention has shifted from adding things to making sure everything that's already in the build is rock-solid.
Because this is a version-manifest entry rather than a full changelog post, the exact list of fixes bundled into rc-1 hasn't been published separately yet. What we do know is that this is the first official release candidate under Mojang's newer year-based version numbering scheme (26.x = 2026 builds), which itself is a notable change from the familiar 1.x naming that players have used for over a decade.
Why It Matters
Release candidates matter for a few important reasons:
- Signal of stability: Mojang only tags a build as an RC when they believe it's ready to ship. Reaching rc-1 means a full 26.3 release could follow within days or a couple of weeks.
- Wider compatibility pressure: Once the stable release lands, players, mod authors, plugin developers, and server platforms all begin racing to catch up. The clock starts now.
- Year-based versioning is new territory: The 26.x naming scheme is still very young. The broader ecosystem, PaperMC, Velocity, ViaVersion, is still working through what support for these builds looks like in practice.
Java and Bedrock
This snapshot is Java Edition only. Bedrock Edition follows its own release cadence and version numbering, so Bedrock players on consoles, mobile, or Windows won't see a matching update at this time. Crossplay between Java and Bedrock on SNT kingdoms is handled through Geyser and Floodgate, and those bridges are tied to the server's Java version rather than to any Bedrock client update, so Bedrock players are unaffected by this snapshot entirely.
For Server Owners
If you run your own vanilla or modded server outside of SNT, the headline advice is: wait. Release candidates are still pre-release software. Key parts of the server stack, PaperMC, Velocity, ViaVersion, ViaBackwards, and Fabric, have not yet migrated to Mojang's 26.x version line. Running an RC on a production server before those tools catch up risks plugin breakage, proxy incompatibility, and world-corruption edge cases that stable builds iron out.
- Watch the PaperMC and Velocity changelogs for 26.x migration announcements.
- Hold off on updating any live worlds until a stable 26.3 release is confirmed and the plugin ecosystem has had time to test.
- Back up your worlds now, before any experimental builds touch them.
For Parents
You may notice your child's Minecraft launcher offering a new snapshot or release-candidate option. Snapshots are experimental, they can contain bugs, unexpected crashes, or behaviour changes that affect saved worlds. The safest approach is to keep the launcher set to "Latest Release" and let the stable version do the work. If your child is curious about trying the new build, a separate game directory (set up through the launcher's "Installations" tab) lets them explore without touching their main worlds.
There is nothing in this update that changes online-safety settings, chat reporting, or parental controls, those remain as they were.
For Players
Hey adventurers! ๐ A release candidate basically means Mojang is putting the finishing touches on a brand-new version of the game. Think of it like a dress rehearsal before the big show. The full 26.3 release should be coming soon, and with it will come whatever cool new content this update cycle has been building toward.
In the meantime, if you're curious and want to poke around the RC, you can turn on snapshots in the Minecraft launcher settings. Just remember:
- Snapshots can be glitchy, save your best worlds first!
- You can always switch back to the stable version without losing anything.
- Your SNT kingdom server won't be on this version yet, so you'll need to log in with your usual profile to play there.
Do SNT Kingdoms Need an Update?
No action is needed, and no disruption is expected. Here's the full picture:
- SNT kingdoms run Paper 1.21.11 backends and a Fabric 1.21.4 backend, all sitting behind a Velocity proxy.
- Clients connecting on profiles from 1.13 through 1.21.11 are fully supported right now via ViaVersion, ViaBackwards, and ViaRewind.
- Minecraft 26.x clients are not yet supported, PaperMC, Velocity, and the Via family have not completed migration to Mojang's new year-based version scheme, so a 26.3 client (snapshot or stable) won't be able to join a kingdom at this time.
- All six worlds, Survival, SharedLife, RandomLoot, Chaos, Spleef, and Rivals, continue running normally with zero changes required.
As soon as the key server-side tools ship stable 26.x support, the SNT team will evaluate, test, and roll out compatibility. We'll post an update here the moment that changes. Until then, keep building! ๐ฐ