Dolphins that find treasure! Minecraft's big ocean overhaul
But Switch multiplayer cross-play and Super Duper Graphics delayed.
The Minecon Earth show happened yesterday and a handful of Minecraft announcements were made. The biggest was the reveal of Update Aquatic, an entire overhaul to oceans coming spring 2018, and it has dolphins - dolphins that can lead you to treasure, which is Flippering marvellous.
But also of note were accompanying updates on the development of the Super Duper Graphics Pack and cross-platform multiplayer for Minecraft on Switch. And I'm afraid neither will make it out this year.
On the Super Duper Graphics Pack, a Minecraft statement read: "While originally set for release this year, there's a lot of work to be done still and we're not going to be ready to launch it in 2017. We'll be releasing Super Duper next year."
Supergirl actor Melissa Benoist starred in a new musical trailer for the Super Duper Graphics Pack aired during the Minecon Earth show.
On Switch cross-platform multiplayer, the statement added: "The Nintendo Switch community will still be getting the new version of Minecraft with cross-platform multiplayer, but not until 2018. Nintendo has been a great partner and we're really excited to fully bring Switch players into the fold, however, we need to make sure we deliver the best experience possible."
Minecraft leader Jens Bergensten talked Lego Batman and Arrested Development actor Will Arnett, the Minecon Earth co-host, through Update Aquatic during the show (Arnett dropped an awful dolphin pun which made my day), and there's a lot coming with it.
Like a new trident weapon! This can be used both in melee and at range, although if you throw it, you'll lose it. Unless! Unless you have a unique enchantment for it called Loyalty which, yes, makes it come back to you like Thor's legendary hammer Mjolnir. There's another unique trident enchantment called Riptide, too, which teleports you a throwing distance when throwing the trident in water - or outside in the rain!
There will be both warm and cold oceans, and all the fish you currently fish in Minecraft, you'll find swimming around. You can even capture fish in a bucket, take them back to your house and start your own aquarium! But the dolphins are best of all, and they'll dart around you and leap out of the water as well as lead you to treasure.
Water physics will change, with great bubble columns erupting from magma blocks far below, playing havoc with buoyancy and even pulling you into deep ravines if you're not careful. Building should be easier underwater as a result of the physics changes, too, which sounds cool.
On top of that the Update Aquatic will include coral and kelp and shipwrecks and even icebergs, as well as a new fan-voted creature called the monster of the night skies, a kind of out-of-water manta ray.