Minecraft Java Edition used 1.x numbers from 1.0 up to 1.21.11, then switched to year.drop numbers with 26.1 in March 2026. Bedrock Edition took the same 26 prefix but counts differently. The newest Java release is 26.3 (15 September 2026) and Bedrock is on the 26.50 line. The number decides which mods, packs and shaders load. For the single newest number, see latest Minecraft version.
| Edition | Newest release | Release date | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java Edition | 26.3 | 2026-09-15 | Java 26.3 patch notes (feedback.minecraft.net) |
| Bedrock Edition | 26.50 (Wilderness Bound) | 2026-09-15 | Bedrock 26.50 changelog (feedback.minecraft.net) |
| Bedrock Edition hotfix | 26.52 | Changelog 2026-09-25 | Bedrock 26.52 hotfix changelog (feedback.minecraft.net) |
These facts were read on 11 October 2026. Bedrock hotfixes reach each platform as its store approves them, so 26.52 may not be on every device yet. The newest Java test release in the feed is 26.4-snapshot-3 (6 October 2026), a snapshot and not a release.
How Minecraft versions were numbered before 2026
Mojang's own account is short: version 1.0, then 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and onward, with the number rising at each major update until 1.21 (Tricky Trials) in June 2024. Mojang then announced more frequent drops in place of one big yearly update, and the numbering stalled. The Garden Awakens in December 2024 was 1.21.50 on Bedrock but 1.21.4 on Java, so the two editions already disagreed.
Test versions had their own scheme. Java snapshots used week codes, and the first ever was 11w47a for 1.1 in 2011. Mojang's example is 25w41a, the first snapshot for Mounts of Mayhem. Bedrock tests ship as betas on Android and as Preview on other platforms, covered in what Minecraft Preview is.
Key Java Edition releases from 1.0 to 1.21
Mojang's updates timeline names these larger updates, newest first: The Wild Update, Caves and Cliffs Part II, Caves and Cliffs Part I, Nether Update, Buzzy Bees, Village & Pillage, Update Aquatic and World of Color. Drops began in 2023 with Bats and Pots, followed by The Garden Awakens, Chase the Skies and Mounts of Mayhem. That timeline gives no version numbers, so none are attached here.
The last releases in the old scheme were 1.21.9 (2025-09-30), 1.21.10 (2025-10-07) and 1.21.11 (2025-12-09). Mounts of Mayhem is 1.21.11 and added the spear, per Mojang's release article.
Bedrock Edition release history
Bedrock releases more often than Java. Its changelog list shows 26.40 on 2026-07-31, 26.41 to 26.43 on 2026-08-10, 26.44 and 26.45 on 2026-08-14, then 26.50 (changelog 2026-09-11), 26.51 (2026-09-15) and 26.52 (2026-09-25). The Minecraft Wiki explains the logic. A drop or an unnamed minor update adds 10 to the number, and a hotfix adds 1. Previews count upward from 20 and arrive on Tuesdays, barring delays.
The switch to year.drop version numbers
Mojang announced the change on 2 December 2025 (date as cited by the Minecraft Wiki). From 2026 both editions start with 26, which Mojang says makes it easier for creators and players to tell which release is which. Java then counts drops within the year, so the third drop of 2026 is 26.3. A Java hotfix adds a third number, such as 26.1.1. Bedrock counts upward from its release number.
| Scheme | Java Edition example | Bedrock Edition example |
|---|---|---|
| Before 2026 | 1.21.4 (The Garden Awakens) | 1.21.50 (The Garden Awakens) |
| From 2026, drop | 26.3 (third drop of 2026) | 26.50 (third drop of 2026) |
| From 2026, hotfix | 26.1.1 and 26.1.2 (released 2026-04-01 and 2026-04-09) | 26.52 (hotfix changelog 2026-09-25) |
| Snapshot naming | 25w41a would have been 25.4-snapshot-1; current feed shows 26.4-snapshot-3 | Preview, numbered from 20 |
Java releases since the switch are 26.1 (2026-03-24), 26.2 (2026-06-16) and 26.3 (2026-09-15). The trade-off is that a tool or mod page still written for 1.21.x does not tell you its status under the new scheme. Read the exact number. For snapshot behaviour, see what a snapshot is.
Why the version decides which mods, packs and shaders work
A Java mod runs only with the loader it was made for, installed for the same Minecraft version. Add-ons are Bedrock only and mods are Java only, as Java vs Bedrock explains. A Java resource pack built for another version can still load, but shows an incompatibility warning.
Java 26.3 sets the data pack version to 121.0 and the resource pack version to 97.1. Its notes refactor the terrain.vsh and terrain.fsh shaders and add order-independent transparency shaders. Mojang says overriding core shaders is unsupported and may change at any time, which matters to shader authors. The full picture is in what 26.3 changes for mods, shaders and packs.
| Loader | Status for 26.3 | Modrinth mods listing 26.3 | Modrinth mods listing 26.2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Listed as stable | 7207 | 12810 |
| Quilt | Listed as stable | Not counted | Not counted |
| NeoForge | Newest 26.3.0.71-beta, every 26.3 file labelled beta | 4030 | Not counted |
| Forge | Latest 66.0.10, no file flagged in its promotions feed | 2115 | 3327 |
A listed file is not proof that a mod works, and CurseForge is not counted. The gap between 26.2 and 26.3 listings shows how quickly a new number splits the mod pool. For the loader trade-offs, read Fabric vs Forge vs NeoForge. To pick a number for a modded setup, see which Java version suits mods. To move between numbers, use how to change your Minecraft version.
What we did not do. We read Mojang's feeds, changelogs and the Minecraft Wiki. We did not launch any release or test any mod. For the next drop, see what Mojang has announced.
Sources
- 1.Minecraft's new version numbering system (minecraft.net, announced December 2025)
- 2.Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11 release article (minecraft.net)
- 3.Minecraft Updates Timeline and Game Evolution (minecraft.net)
- 4.Version types (Minecraft Wiki)
- 5.Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 patch notes (feedback.minecraft.net, 15 September 2026)
- 6.Minecraft Bedrock Edition 26.52 hotfix changelog (feedback.minecraft.net, 25 September 2026)
