At today's , Mojang revealed the [[link]] next update coming to the game, the first of a new, . The Pale Garden biome and its resident critter, The Creaking, are set to go live "in the next few months," while players will find them in snapshots, betas, and previews "very soon."
The Pale Garden will be a new forest biome somewhat reminiscent of a real world mangrove swamp, with moss hanging from the trees, low visibility, and no wildlife to be found—during the day, at least. Mojang developers emphasized the sense of eerie dread they hope to evoke with the biome, which [[link]] they characterize as atmospheric and isolating.
At night, the Creaking will come out. The misshapen tree men look like something out of the Witcher, and move with the sounds of grating wood and snapping twigs. In addition to looking spooky, the Creaking will be mechanically distinct from other Minecraft mobs: They'll only move when you're not looking at them, and you can't directly damage the creatures. Instead, each one is tethered to a "Creaking Heart" hidden somewhere in the forest that you'll have to destroy.
The new biome seems like a fun addition to Minecraft, and I like how Mojang is leaning into the game's more uncanny elements with this update. We don't have a set date for the Pale Garden's arrival, but I would expect it before the end of the year. You can also check out a on the Minecraft website.