Minecraft is a game that’s been profoundly shaped by its community since the earliest versions. That starts with the game’s name and extends to mods and player-suggested features. Between 2017 and 2023, Mojang regularly ran votes where players could decide which updates would come next. Along the way, many proposed features didn’t make it into the game—at least not right away. Today we’re looking back at the votes to see which ideas might still find their way into Minecraft in the future. That’s not out of the question, as the upcoming Copper Update suggests.
Minecraft Mob Vote: What are Community Votes?
During the Community Votes—later best known as the Mob Vote—players could vote for new features across various social media platforms. These were introduced in humorous animations featuring developers Jens and Agnes. Whatever received the most votes was added to Minecraft in the months or years that followed. As we’ll see, that didn’t mean the other ideas vanished forever—some resurfaced later in adapted form.
Over time, the Mob Vote grew huge and sparked controversy, as results could be influenced by large creators. In 2024, Mojang ended this format and adjusted their update planning. It’s still fascinating to see what was possible—and what might yet be possible.
Minecraft Community Votes 2017–2023: Overview and what’s coming next
Minecraft 2017 Mob Vote: Phantom, Wildfire, Barnacle, and Great Hunger
The first Mob Vote was surprisingly small and straightforward, considering how big Minecraft already was. Across all rounds there were around 10,000 votes for a new mob.
- Mob A “Barnacle”: An underwater creature with a big mouth and tentacles.
- Mob B “Phantom”: A flying monster that haunts sleepless players.
- Mob C “Great Hunger”: A lizard hungry for enchanted items.
- Mob D “Wildfire”: An enhanced Blaze with shields and stronger defense.
The Phantom won and now attacks you if you haven’t slept for a long time. It’s one of the few sources of Phantom Membrane, which you use to repair your Elytra. The Wildfire mob was also used—but only in Minecraft Dungeons.
Minecraft 2018 Biome Chooser: Taiga, Desert, and Savanna
In the second vote, you didn’t choose mobs but biomes. Participation jumped to 55,000—far more than the first time.
- Taiga: With sweet berries, foxes, and campfires.
- Desert: With oases, palm trees, and meerkats.
- Savanna: With baobab trees, ostriches, and termites.
The Taiga won. Many of its showcased features still define the biome today—an update that truly paid off. So far, none of the other biome features have made it into the game.
Minecraft 2019 Biome Vote: Mountains, Swamp, and Mesa
The next year’s biome vote became one of the most important in Minecraft history. Across two rounds, around 500,000 people voted.
- Mountains: With goats, powder snow, and new mountain biomes.
- Swamp: With frogs, boats with chests, and mangrove trees.
- Mesa: With wind runners, new cacti (prickly pear), and vultures.
The Mountains won—leading to the Caves & Cliffs Update, which completely overhauled world generation: new mountain biomes, taller and deeper worlds, and entirely new cave systems. Later, The Wild Update delivered the promised Swamp content. Maybe we’ll see elements of the Badlands (Mesa) someday, too.
Minecraft 2020 Mob Vote: Moobloom, Iceologer, and Glow Squid
Starting in 2020, the votes focused exclusively on mobs. Many designs came from other Minecraft games. Over 1.5 million players took part.
- Moobloom: A yellow cow from Minecraft Earth with flowers on its back.
- Iceologer: Another Pillager variant lurking in icy mountains.
- Glow Squid: A bioluminescent squid.
The Glow Squid won. Its glow ink sacs let you make sign text stand out and add extra ambience underground.
Minecraft 2021 Mob Vote: Allay, Glare, and Copper Golem
With over 2 million votes, this was the biggest poll yet. And again, Mojang didn’t discard every idea.
- Glare: A leafy spirit that warns about dark areas in caves.
- Allay: A blue helper that gathers dropped items.
- Copper Golem: A small copper golem that would have interacted with Redstone.
First, the Allay was added with The Wild Update. Players can also look forward to the Copper Golem—it’s coming too, with slightly adjusted functionality, as the upcoming Copper Update shows.
Minecraft 2022 Mob Vote: Sniffer, Rascal, and Tuff Golem
In the penultimate Mob Vote, over 2 million players turned out again.
- Sniffer: Searches the ground and finds rare flower seeds.
- Rascal: Appears underground, offering hints and useful items.
- Tuff Golem: A decorative statue that holds items.
The Sniffer won, earning more than twice as many votes as the runner-up, the Rascal. It arrived with the Trails & Tales Update. Learn more in our guide (Minecraft Sniffer Farm: Automatic Methods for Rare Crops)
Minecraft 2023 Mob Vote: Armadillo, Penguin, and Crab
The most recent Mob Vote (2023) focused on cute animals. So far, none besides the winner has made it into the game.
- Crab: Lives in mangrove swamps and interacts with seaweed.
- Penguin: Lives on stony shores and swims in the water.
- Armadillo: Found in warm biomes; occasionally sheds its scutes.
The Armadillo won. Its scutes are used to craft Wolf Armor—find details here (Wolves and Armadillos in Minecraft: Tips for Horn Shield Farming)
Conclusion: Winners, losers, and future Minecraft updates
The Minecraft Community Votes were a powerful way to involve players in development. Best of all, not only the winners made it in. Mangrove swamps (from the Swamp vote) and the upcoming Copper Golem show that Mojang likes to revisit loser ideas later on.
If you want to experience the features that made it into the game thanks to these votes, rent your own Minecraft server
And who knows—maybe the votes will make a comeback someday.
