When players first venture into the blocky landscape of Minecraft, many will primarily walk or run through the various biomes or multiplayer maps to traverse the land. However, over Minecraft’s long lifespan, Mojang has slowly added alternative forms of travel for players to experiment with.

This includes saddles for pigs, horses, donkeys and mules, boats, minecarts, and the elusive elytra, which allows players to glide in the air. While many of these vehicles and traversal items have been slightly updated over the years, such as boats being able to carry two players or mobs, Mojang could potentially introduce a transformative vehicular update to greatly improve long journeys for better or for worse.

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Minecraft Player Builds Giant Statue of Hisuian Typhlosion

One building expert in Minecraft brings the year to a close with a statue of Typhlosion in light of the major Pokemon leaks this year.

Why a Minecraft Vehicle Update Could Be Beneficial

Minecraft worlds are increasingly becoming larger as biomes themselves become more diverse and varied. With the recent introduction of the Pale Garden, there are currently 53 biomes available in Minecraft’s overworld with five others appearing in the Nether and another five appearing in the End. In normal survival worlds, many of these biomes could be difficult to find without the use of coordinates or external seed mappings. To help make long journeys to rare biomes or general travel throughout worlds easier, Mojang could introduce carts, carriages, and wagons to be pulled by camels, cows, donkeys, horses, llamas, or mules.

Similar to wagons pulled by 19th-century United States pioneers, these vehicles could help players carry items over long distances without players having to carry several items in their own inventory. Mojang could introduce both two and four-wheeled wagons for players to craft, with two-wheeled wagons possibly pulled by only one mob but carrying fewer items.

Meanwhile, four-wheeled wagons have to be pulled by at least two mobs but could be pulled by more to increase speed. Four-wheeled wagons could additionally carry more items, potentially allowing space for two large chests and two other utility blocks such as a crafting table or furnace. This would essentially allow players to carry most of their desired items with them on long journeys to rare biomes.

A Potential Update to Minecraft Boats

While wagons can help players travel across the mainland, Mojang should update Minecraft’s boats to help make sailing over oceans easier. Currently, boats can hold two passengers, two mobs, or a single chest with players able to pull other boats with leads. To help improve travel over oceans, Mojang could introduce boats that are two blocks wide and long to carry a large chest and two players at once.

While donkeys, horses, and mules can’t currently pull anything in Minecraft, players can pull other animals along with a lead while riding donkeys, horses, or mules.

Why a Minecraft Vehicle Update May Be Needlessly Cumbersome

An expansive vehicle update for both land and sea could make traveling across gigantic worlds easier and a bit more fun, but it may also feel out of place for Minecraft’s survival feel. Wagons and larger boats may be too advanced compared to the game’s more homemade tools and equipment, as most people wouldn’t be able to build large boats and wagons if left stranded in the wild. Horses, donkeys, and mules may also already be enough transportation for enough players, as horses alone can travel far distances quickly, while donkeys and mules can carry chests with 15 inventory slots.

Introducing carts, carriages, and wagons to Minecraft could potentially impact other biomes such as traditional birch, oak, and spruce forests as the vehicles wouldn’t easily be able to travel between the trees. Otherwise, carts, carriages, and wagons would only be useful for traveling through meadows, snowy slopes, plains, savannas, and desert biomes. Without an update to make trees taller or increase the distance between one another in forests, carts, carriages, and wagons could be more or less useless in both new and old worlds.

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Minecraft Tag Page Cover Art
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Sandbox
Survival
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
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Released
November 18, 2011
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
Developer(s)
Mojang
Publisher(s)
Mojang
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Minecraft In Game Screenshot 6
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Engine
LWJGL, PROPRIETARY ENGINE
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Franchise
Minecraft
Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical or Horizontal
Genre(s)
Sandbox, Survival
How Long To Beat
129 Hours
X|S Optimized
No
File Size Xbox Series
1.42 GB (August 2024)
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty