Minecraft's getting a whole new biome, but all I care about is this pink wood

Minecraft
(Image credit: Mojang/Microsoft)

The Minecraft devs have unveiled one last big feature for the 1.20 update, and while the new cherry blossom biome looks cool, the actual exciting bit is the addition of pink wood.

The cherry blossom biome marks the final major feature reveal for Minecraft 1.20, which will also include additions like archaeology and armor trim. The new biome will, naturally, feature forests full of pink-blossomed trees, and as the devs explain in the announcement blog, it'll spawn mobs like pigs, sheep, and bees.

But a new kind of tree means we're getting something even more important: a new kind of wood. Pink wood, to be precise. You'll be able to harvest cherry blossom wood to build in pink - and while I'm pretty sure that's inaccurate to nature, it does make for some very cute building options. Me, I'm gonna make a giant house shaped like Kirby where you'll walk into his mouth to enter.

As much fun as it is to say 'pink wood' over and over, cherry blossom trees have quite legitimately been a long-requested addition to Minecraft. Mods have been adding cherry blossoms to the game for years now, so the demand has been clear, and it's good to see them finally become official.

The 1.20 update is expected to launch sometime in 2023, though if you don't want to wait to play with the pink wood, snapshots and betas will give you early access to the patch's new features.

Confused by all the different Minecraft editions? You can follow that link for a breakdown.

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

Read more
Minecraft Vibrant Visuals
16 years after Minecraft first released it's getting a modern visual upgrade with a retro lighting trick that Mojang hasn't seen "in any other game"
A character in Terraria dressed in armour and holding a torch
As Terraria's sixth final update approaches, the devs are still planning an "ideation session" to make sure they don't forget to add anything
Minecraft Netherite Armor
A developer porting Minecraft to the Dreamcast is now able to "Blast through an existing world file at 2,800 km/h"
Minecraft key art showing Steve holding a pickaxe.
Minecraft modder uses "3 hours of my life that I'll never get back" to create a new mod that gives Steve Jack Black's voice
A Minecraft Movie
New Minecraft Movie trailer sees Jack Black and Jason Momoa race to save a colorful and cubic zombie-filled world - but not without a visit from Jennifer Coolidge
A screenshot shows Breath of the Wild's map recreated in Minecraft.
Minecraft experts dedicate 3 years to building Breath of the Wild's entire open-world map out of blocks: "I put everything else aside"
Latest in Minecraft
Minecraft Vibrant Visuals
16 years after Minecraft first released it's getting a modern visual upgrade with a retro lighting trick that Mojang hasn't seen "in any other game"
Minecraft movie image of Jack Black as steve
Don't expect Minecraft to go free-to-play anytime soon, as Mojang says "It doesn't really work with the way we built it"
Minecraft Diamond Armor
Minecraft Pocket Edition got its name because one of its devs was a big "Nintendo nerd" who wanted to pay homage to the Game Boy Pocket
Minecraft key art showing Steve holding a pickaxe.
Minecraft modder uses "3 hours of my life that I'll never get back" to create a new mod that gives Steve Jack Black's voice
Minecraft Netherite Armor
A developer porting Minecraft to the Dreamcast is now able to "Blast through an existing world file at 2,800 km/h"
Minecraft Steve
Notch cancels the "Minecraft 2" he announced days prior because spiritual successors are "always kinda sad nostalgia dumps"
Latest in News
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing female protagonist Naoe
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe actor was terrified to perform until her first mocap scene earned "a standing ovation" on set: "Maybe I can do this mocap thing"
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel may have just sneakily confirmed one of the biggest Daredevil: Born Again fan theories
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke actor says that Naoe could beat his samurai in a fight: “Especially with that big a** helmet of mine”
The Legend of Dragoon
Beloved PS1 JRPG Legend of Dragoon wasn't meant to be a Final Fantasy 7 killer, Super Mario RPG's battle designer just said "I want to make a new RPG"
Fallout 76 screenshot showing an irradiated mutant man-like creature screeching, its sharp canine teeth showing
After 14 years at Bethesda, Skyrim and Fallout veteran made his final settlement in just 2 days – but only because he'd made some rough ones before that
halflife screenshot showing a headcrab jumping at a player
Half-Life devs worried Gabe Newell "promised things that they couldn't possibly deliver" for the iconic FPS, but "they just didn't know" that they'd be able to do it yet