Minecraft will no longer release yearly summer updates, but smaller, more frequent updates: 'We want you to have new Minecraft content more frequently'

Mojang outlined the changes to its update schedule in a blog post this week titled "The Future of Minecraft's Development". The biggest change is that Minecraft will no longer release a major update every summer, but instead will release smaller updates throughout the year. This will also lead to more frequent Minecraft Live presentations.

Mojang explains that they are changing their feature development rhythm because "we know you want more Minecraft content more frequently." These game drops will be smaller and bring you more features to explore.

Since quite a few of years, we have been able to anticipate a Minecraft Live presentation every year in the fall during which Mojang would unveil some of the key features for the next major update in the summer following. Like this year's Minecraft update 1.21 with its focus on new enemies and trial chambers, which was revealed in October last year.

The players have been saying for the last few years that they feel the Minecraft yearly updates are getting smaller. Uncharitably, i could suggest that a more spread out approach to updating will mask this. More frequent updates may also result in more requested content being added to the game if they do not have to go through testing and development in time for a big annual content drop.

Mojang says that it has already tried these smaller updates a few times. It added the new armadillo and wolf variants to Armored Paws in April, months before the main 1.21 update. This is one of the reasons why new features are released earlier than expected.

Mojang says that Minecraft Live, which will now be held twice a year, will be "more focused" and "more focused on the latest features they are working on." It did not specify if the first of these more focused presentations will be next month but I would be willing to wager on it. It sounds like the presentation will not be a big Minecraft 1.22 announcement, but rather a small update.