Java Edition 1.16.4

This page covers a release version that has a major issue under certain conditions.

 

The dedicated server for this version has a security vulnerability in the Log4j library that could be used to perform a remote code execution exploit. It can be addressed by appending a certain JVM argument to the server startup command line.^[1]

Minecraft 1.16.4

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1.16.4 is a minor update to Java Edition released on November 2, 2020,^[2] which adds the social interactions screen and fixes various bugs. The content of 1.16.4 is identical to its release candidate.^[3] While 1.16.4 was not the last minor version of 1.16, it was the last one before snapshots for 1.17 began. This is the final version released in 2020.

Chat

• Added an option to hide matched names.
  • Some servers send chat messages in non-standard formats. With this option on, the game attempts to apply chat hiding anyway by matching the text in messages.

Social interactions

• Gives players the ability to disable chatting with certain players, thus hiding any messages received from them.
• Opens with a configurable key binding, by default P.
• Whether a player is hidden resets when re-joining a server.
• The status of a player is listed below their name.

Netherite leggings

• Changed the texture of the worn netherite leggings model.

Accounts

• When logging in with a Microsoft account, players blocked in that account are now also blocked in the game, and account restrictions are now respected.

Accessibility

• A button to open a link to the accessibility guide can now be found in the "Accessibility Options" screen.

Crashes

• More information is now added to the crash log in cases where poor performance causes the server to crash.

Options

• Added "joinedFirstServer" option to options.txt.

Protocol versions

• New network protocol scheme, with a high bit (bit 30) set for snapshots. The protocol version will increase by 1 for each snapshot, but full releases may keep the same protocol version as the previous full release in cases where the network protocols are compatible.

Multiplayer

• When the server and client version are incompatible, a message reading "Incompatible version!" in red will be displayed, instead of "Client out of date!" or "Server out of date!" in dark red.
• When multiplayer is disabled, the message displayed now reads, "Multiplayer is disabled. Please check your Microsoft account settings." instead of "Multiplayer is disabled. Please check your launcher settings."

Splashes

• The splashes relating to the Black Lives Matter movement have been added to splashes.txt. These splashes were added to the game via a launcher update during 1.16.2 but were not in splashes.txt. The splashes are:
  • Black lives matter!
  • Be anti-racist!
  • Learn about allyship!
  • Speak OUT against injustice and UP for equality!
  • Amplify and listen to BIPOC voices!
  • Educate your friends on anti-racism!
  • Support the BIPOC community and creators!
  • Stand up for equality in your community!

4 issues fixed

From 1.16

• MC-192434 – The top front texture of worn netherite leggings is inconsistent with the rest of the texture.

From 1.16.2

• MC-199487 – World generation deadlock causes crash.

From 1.16.3

• MC-201885 – Divide by zero error in the ender dragon entity class can cause a server crash and infinite velocity.

From the 1.16.2 development versions

• MC-202147 – Cursor in Social Interactions & Recipe Book & Anvil menu doesn’t blink

• This was the last full version to be released in 2020.
• Originally, this version was going to be released on October 29, 2020, but it got postponed by 4 days.
• With the introduction of social interactions, this is the oldest Java Edition release so far that does not show players a warning pop-up telling it's an older version that doesn't support the latest safety features when they launch it in the official launcher.

• Minecraft 1.16.4 and Minecraft 1.16.5 are network compatible, that is, 1.16.4 servers can have players from 1.16.5.