Minecraft 1.21.6 Pre-Release 2 – Chase the Skies Drop Update

The Minecraft 1.21.6 Pre-Release 2, part of the broader “Chase the Skies” update cycle, delivers important bug fixes, sound system adjustments, and UI improvements, with a special focus on refining the behavior of the newly introduced Happy Ghast. This pre-release improves compatibility for older content, enhances dialogue input controls, and continues Mojang’s goal of refining technical systems for both players and server developers ahead of the final 1.21.6 release.

From renamed sound categories to expanded text input limits and smoother interactions with mobs, this version polishes key systems to support more creative server gameplay and advanced features. It also addresses a long list of bugs affecting performance, player mobility, and interaction reliability.

Key Changes:

Music and Sound:

• Renamed sound categories:
  • Friendly Creatures → Friendly Mobs
  • Hostile Creatures → Hostile Mobs

Mob Behavior & Control:

• Happy Ghast with NoAI: true can now be controlled by players, opening up new creative and server-controlled scenarios.
• Improved behavior for riding mobs into powder snow and smoother teleportation logic for Happy Ghasts using Nether portals.
• Fixed inconsistent damage handling for Ghasts in hazardous blocks.

UI & Dialog Improvements:

• Text Input Fields:
  • The initial text value is no longer limited to 32 characters.
  • max_lines for multiline input is now capped to avoid game lag.
  • Multiline text no longer causes crashes due to newline \n characters.
  • Cursor rendering in dialog input boxes has been fixed.
• Dialogs now better support template substitution with escaped characters in SNBT format.

Technical Adjustments:

• Dialog control type: minecraft:text
• Output supports substitution in templates, with safe handling of quotes and escape sequences.
• If height is omitted in multiline input, the height derived from max_lines will not exceed 512 pixels.

Resource Pack Fixes:

• Corrected "music_notes.png.mcmeta" to eliminate index mismatch warnings.

Notable Bug Fixes:

• MC-217887 – Unsigned books written in 1.9-pre1 and earlier now upgrade correctly
• MC-297575 – Happy Ghasts with NoAI can now be controlled
• MC-297591 – Ender pearls no longer halt unexpectedly
• MC-298104 – max_lines field no longer causes lag
• MC-298144 – Text input initial value supports more than 32 characters
• MC-298155 – Newline (\n) no longer kicks players from servers via dialog system
• MC-298301 – Cursor blinking no longer shifts text input incorrectly
• MC-298307 – Music resumes properly when exiting pale garden in Creative
• MC-298358 – Powder snow once again affects mounted players
• MC-298361 – Happy Ghast teleportation corrected during Nether travel
• MC-298394 – Powdered snow freezing now works smoothly
• MC-298422 – Ghasts and Happy Ghasts correctly take damage from harmful blocks

Screenshots:

Requires:

Java

Java Runtime Environment

How to install:

• Please visit the following link for full instructions: How To Download & Install Minecraft Snapshots

Why use Minecraft 1.21.6 Pre-Release 2?

This pre-release isn’t just about polishing gameplay—it’s a developer-focused snapshot that helps shape the final 1.21.6 release by resolving long-standing bugs, improving UI functionality, and refining mob behavior. If you’re a server owner, map maker, or technical player, this version opens new opportunities for custom control over mobs like the Happy Ghast, expanded dialog features, and better compatibility with legacy content.

• Introduces player-controllable Happy Ghasts, expanding creative and adventure map mechanics
• Fixes bugs that improve UI responsiveness, text input reliability, and multiline dialog handling
• Resolves compatibility issues with older book content, useful for long-running servers or adventure maps
• Polishes sound labeling, making in-game audio settings clearer and more intuitive
• Serves as a stable environment for resource pack creators and snapshot testers preparing for 1.21.6

Whether you’re fine-tuning a modded server or just want to explore the latest advancements before the full release, Pre-Release 2 brings valuable updates worth trying.