Official Release Date: November 18, 2011
Development Completed: November 14, 2011
Edition: Java Edition
Type: Full Release
Minimum Java Version: Java SE 5
Protocol Version: 22
Java Edition 1.0.0 marked the official release of Minecraft, completing the Adventure Update started in Beta 1.8. Released at MINECON 2011, it was the last version developed directly by Notch before handing over creative development to Jens Bergensten. This version introduced major features including brewing, enchanting, the End dimension, Hardcore mode, and animal breeding, among others.
Key Additions
Blocks & Items
- Brewing Stand & Cauldron: Used for brewing potions and storing water.
- Enchantment Table: Enchants tools, weapons, and armor.
- Dragon Egg: Appears after defeating the Ender Dragon, teleports when mined.
- Nether Bricks & Fences/Stairs: Used in Nether Fortresses.
- Mycelium & Lily Pads: World generation additions.
- Potions & Splash Potions: Provide various positive and negative effects.
- Blaze Rods & Powder, Ghast Tears, Fermented Spider Eyes, Glistering Melons, Gold Nuggets: Brewing ingredients.
- Music Discs: 9 new discs added.
- Eye of Ender: Activates End Portal Frames and locates strongholds.
Mobs
- Mooshroom: Mushroom-covered cow; exclusive to mushroom islands.
- Chick, Calf, Piglet, Lamb: Baby versions of passive mobs.
- Blaze, Magma Cube: Hostile Nether mobs.
- Ender Dragon: Boss mob, spawns only once in the End.
- Snow Golem: Craftable, spreads snow and throws snowballs.
- Villager: Passive NPC with professions, spawns in villages.
World Generation
- New Biomes: Frozen oceans, ice mountains, ice plains, mushroom islands, and mushroom island shores.
- The End: New dimension replacing the planned Sky Dimension; home to Endermen and the Ender Dragon.
- Structures: Strongholds with End portals; Nether fortresses in the Nether.
Gameplay Features
- Breeding System: Animals can enter “love mode” when fed, producing offspring.
- Brewing: Craft potions with positive and negative effects.
- Enchanting: Add special properties to weapons, tools, and armor.
- Hardcore Mode: Locks difficulty to Hard; death deletes world save.
- Item Repair: Combine two damaged items to repair them.
- End Poem & Credits: Appears after defeating the Ender Dragon.
General Updates
- Achievements: Added new achievements such as DIAMONDS!, Return to Sender, The End?, and Overkill.
- Options & Settings: Video settings for clouds and particles; new server.properties options.
- Splashes: Over 30 new humorous splash messages added.
- Performance & UI: Debug screen improvements, inventory status effect sprites, texture pack reload via F3 + T.
- Moon & Sun: Rise and set directions, moon phases added.
Changes & Improvements
Blocks & Items
- Beds prevent sleeping when monsters are nearby.
- Ores and blocks updated for smelting or durability improvements.
- Redstone mechanics updated, including brewing and potion interactions.
- Weapons, tools, and armor adjusted for durability and damage balance.
Mobs & Entities
- Health, drops, and behavior updated for cave spiders, Endermen, Ghasts, Sheep, Silverfish, Slimes, Spiders, and Zombies.
- Status effects now produce visual particle swirls.
World & Biomes
- Landmass borders adjusted for smaller, closer islands.
- Grass, foliage, and water colors darkened; lily pads spawn in swamps.
- Random loot chests added to strongholds.
Gameplay & Mechanics
- Armor system improved.
- Blocking moves the player’s arm rather than floating swords.
- Experience system updated for enchantments and death scoring.
- Third-person view toggling improved.
Trivia
- Originally planned as Beta 1.9, the version was renamed to 1.0.0 and released at MINECON 2011.
- This was Notch’s last version before leaving development.
- Added more new mobs than any previous update (10 total).
- 1.0.0 had release candidates but no snapshots, a first for major updates.