Java Edition 26.3 Snapshot 8

26.3 Snapshot 8 (known as 26.3-snapshot-8 in the launcher) is the eighth snapshot for Java Edition 26.3, released on August 12, 2026,^[1] which adds invite codes for Realms, renames a few explorer maps, and fixes bugs.

Realms

• Realms owners can now create invite codes to their Realm.
  • Up to 5 invite codes are allowed.
  • They can be configured to be either active or inactive.
  • Expiration of the invite code can be configured.
• Players can now join Realms by entering an invite code in the new "Join Realm" screen.

Concrete slabs and stairs

• Can now be obtained by cutting concrete in a stonecutter.

Straw beds

• Are now broken faster when mined with a hoe.
• Are now immediately placed right after beds in the Creative inventory.

Explorer maps

• Renamed the following explorer maps:
  • Abandoned Campsite Map → Abandoned Camp Map
  • Ancient City Map → Buried Ancient City Map
  • Jungle Pyramid Explorer Map → Jungle Explorer Map
  • Mineshaft Map → Buried Mineshaft Map
  • Ocean Monument Explorer Map → Ocean Explorer Map
  • Swamp Hut Explorer Map → Swamp Explorer Map
  • Trial Chambers Explorer Map → Trial Explorer Map
  • Woodland Mansion Explorer Map → Woodland Explorer Map

Map decorations

• The map icon of woodland mansion on filled maps is now consistent with the one on woodland explorer map item texture.

Cushions

• Cushions are now destroyed only when they are fully covered by blocks that cause suffocation.

Abandoned Camps

• Now generate slightly further apart, with a spacing of 37 chunks instead of 34.

Trading

• New villager trades, unlocked from a villager leveling up their profession, will now update even if the player has the trading UI open.

Data pack

• The pack format version is now 116.0.

World Options

• Some further improvements have been made to the World Options screen.
  • The "Game Mode" button has been renamed to "Default Game Mode"
  • The "General" section has a new addition:
    • Personal Game Mode: the player's active game mode in the current world (equivalent to the /gamemode command, or F3 + F4)
  • The "Multiplayer" section has a new addition:
    • Force Game Mode: controls whether other players game mode is forced to match the default game mode of the world or not.

Order-independent Transparency (OIT)

• OIT_FORCE_ZERO_DEPTH shader define was removed since the see-through text it was used for is now rendered in a separate pass outside OIT.

Resource pack

• The version is now 96.0.

Shaders

• Removed core shaders
  • core/text_background.fsh and core/text_background.vsh were removed and text background in Text Display Entities is now rendered using the text shaders.

World generation

• Features
  • Removed feature types:
    • minecraft:desert_well
      • The desert well feature now uses the type minecraft:template.^[2]
  • Changed minecraft:template
    • Added the field processors – namespaced ID or inline definition of a structure processor list to apply to the template.

• Placement modifiers
  • Added minecraft:randomly_selected
    • Randomly selects a placement modifier from a list and delegates placement to it.
    • Format:
      • placements – non-empty list of Placement Modifiers to pick from.

• Block predicates
  • Added minecraft:volume_match
    • Checks that every block in a volume matches a given Block Predicate.
    • Format:
      • min – list of 3 integers in range -16 to 16 specifying the lower corner of the volume as an offset from the test position.
      • max – list of 3 integers in range -16 to 16 specifying the upper corner of the volume as an offset from the test position.
      • match – block predicate to test on each position.

48 issues fixed

From released versions before 26.3

• MC-44654 – Some entities' positions are not updated on the client when teleported.
• MC-122731 – Camera movement stutters when turning in a boat.
• MC-206540 – Increased input delay when riding an entity.
• MC-236497 – The head rotations of passengers in boats are not correctly displayed for other players.
• MC-237679 – The head rotations of passengers in boats are constantly forced to turn in certain directions if the rider were to dismount the boat while moving left or right.
• MC-249200 – Several entities constantly deviate visually from their actual positions on the client when teleported.
• MC-253023 – Breaking paintings, item frames, glow item frames cannot trigger sculk shriekers.
• MC-258579 – The player's head does not rotate smoothly (with delay) in third person view while riding a vehicle.
• MC-259512 – Horizontal camera rotation lags when riding.
• MC-260780 – Shulker Bullets always push Fireballs south.
• MC-280250 – Projectiles sometimes desync when thrown/shot while moving.
• MC-300000 – Players desync when teleporting all users riding a happy ghast.
• MC-305214 – Arrows deflecting off of entities get offset.
• MC-308961 – When changing the game mode using debug hotkeys while in the World Options screen, the "Game Mode" button does not update.
• MC-310476 – Projectiles only collide outright with the world border when underwater.
• MC-310787 – Villagers do not level up until the trading window is closed for several seconds.

From the 26.3 development versions

• MC-309284 – Poplar leaves don't use the dark_cutout mipmap strategy.
• MC-309668 – Straw beds are not broken faster when using hoes.
• MC-309670 – Cushions z-fight with the tops of dragon heads.
• MC-309716 – Cushions can be broken in Adventure mode.
• MC-310066 – Tridents thrown by drowned still visually bounce off entities.
• MC-310097 – Experience orbs desync and appear to phase through blocks.
• MC-310103 – The "Text Background Opacity" setting makes the text darker when the "Text Background" setting is set to Everywhere.
• MC-310166 – The straw bed is not placed immediately after regular beds in the Creative mode inventory.
• MC-310175 – Missing resource warning when loading up the game.
• MC-310200 – The player's model flickers while falling into the void when viewed from certain angles.
• MC-310393 – Certain projectiles thrown at the world border rubberband repeatedly.
• MC-310530 – Changing the game mode in the World Options screen no longer changes the player's game mode.
• MC-310540 – A noise definition with base_amplitude set to 0.0 crashes the game during world load.
• MC-310543 – The JVM crashes with EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION in atio6axx.dll on Boot Camp (AMD Radeon Pro 555X).
• MC-310549 – invulnerable_time never decreases for some entities.
• MC-310632 – Farmer villagers no longer throw excess wheat to other villagers.
• MC-310642 – Landing on farmland deals no fall damage when the block is prevented from being trampled.
• MC-310789 – Chunks sometimes don't fade in correctly.

From the previous development version

• MC-310687 – Languages other than "English (US)" fail to load.
• MC-310691 – Stonecutter recipes for concrete stairs and slabs are missing.
• MC-310692 – The error message when the game is unable to load translations can extend outside the screen.
• MC-310705 – The difficulty lock warning screen shows the wrong difficulty after changing the difficulty.
• MC-310718 – Unused color attachments are unusable with the OpenGL rendering backend.
• MC-310726 – The mansion icon in the texture of woodland explorer maps doesn't match the respective icon on the map.
• MC-310728 – Cushions can still be used to see through blocks in third person mode.
• MC-310729 – Explorer maps from previous versions prevent saved hotbars from loading.
• MC-310743 – The category headers in the Debug Options screen are still different than the other options screens.
• MC-310757 – In OIT shaders, coefficients[0] is accumulated using depth but subtracted using originalDepth.
• MC-310771 – The common abandoned camp map is named "Abandoned Campsite Map" instead of "Abandoned Camp Map".
• MC-310783 – Resource packs with custom namespaces cause the "English (US)" language to fail to load.
• MC-310812 – Placing and breaking cushions does not trigger sculk shriekers.
• MC-310917 – Chunk generation can corrupt on worlds upgraded from previous versions.