The Minecraft community was focused on Anaheim, California this past weekend. The Minecon conference was held and developer Mojang dropped some news. The Microsoft-owned company said that Boss battles are coming to mobile. The Boss Update will also be making its debut on Windows 10 Edition Beta.
Mojang says the anticipated release will land on October 18. It will be available on iOS, Android, and Windows 10 Edition.
We have known about the Minecraft Boss Update since it was first announced at E3 in June. My colleague, Ryan Maskell, discussed some more details of the upcoming release last month:
“Mojang's main addition is the two new creatures. The first of these is an Elder Guardian boss, who will patrol new underwater structures named “Ocean Monuments.” Surrounding him will be Guardian sea creatures, complete with laser beams and loot.
The second is the Wither boss, a floating three-headed mob who drops nether stars. Players can use the stars to craft beacons, which give a number of buffs to nearby players.”
Probably the most exciting aspect of the Boss Update is the inclusion of add-ons. This gives gamers the ability to customize the ability of animals and mobs by editing with JSON. Making modification in Minecraft is hardly anything new. However, we do like the idea of “rideable chickens! Ultra-explosive pigs!”
More Features
Mojang's Marsh Davies said in a blog post that some other interesting add-ons are coming. Among them is a Castle Siege add-on and an Alien Invasion mod:
“Not only does the Boss Update for Pocket and Windows 10 bring some much awaited mobs – the Elder Guardian can now be found in the sprawling, mysterious Ocean Monuments, and the Wither appears in revamped fighting form – there are loads of big technical tweaks besides. It's boss in every sense!”
Minecraft Boss Update also introduces a number of other features. The game will now support Microsoft's Xbox Wireless controllers and Oculus Touch controllers. Cross-platform functionality is also a focus. Gamers will be able to import and export worlds across Pocket Edition and Windows 10 using Minecraft Realms.