With more than fifteen years of development, it’s no surprise that some features didn’t make it into today’s version of Minecraft. While some were just tests or small ideas, others were in the game for years before being quietly removed. Many longtime players surely remember one feature or another that’s no longer around. Thanks to preserved older versions, you can still check out many of these things today. We’ll look at the most intriguing features, why they’re gone, and when they were available.
1. Minecraft Far Lands: A bug from early world generation
Version: Infdev 2010-03-27 to Beta 1.7.3
The Far Lands were never an intended feature of Minecraft, but rather a corruption of the world generation when traveling more than 12 million blocks from spawn. Of course, most players would never get that far, but the bug was still discovered in some of Minecraft’s earliest versions. With the update to Beta 1.8 and the subsequent full release, it was fixed—though the world still behaves oddly millions of blocks away from spawn to this day.
2. Minecraft rubies: early emeralds for villager trading
Version: Snapshot 12w21a (Version 1.3)
Yes, there actually were rubies in Minecraft—if only for a single snapshot in 2012. They were originally intended as a currency for villager trades, but were replaced by the green emeralds we know today in the very next snapshot. Most likely, rubies looked too similar to redstone, which could have caused confusion underground. Fun fact: the old ruby texture remained in the game files until 2021 with Version 1.17.
3. Minecraft gears: precursor to Redstone and automation
Version: Indev 2010-01-30
Gears were one of the first ideas to bring automation and circuitry to Minecraft. Even though they only existed briefly, they laid the groundwork for many of today’s familiar mechanics. Not long after, Notch seemingly had the idea to replace them with Redstone, which remains one of the game’s most beloved features. Who knows which direction Minecraft might have gone if gears had stayed.
4. Minecraft brick pyramid: monumental Infdev structure
Version: Infdev 2010-02-27-1414 to Infdev 2010-03-27
The brick pyramids were among the most striking structures ever seen in Minecraft. They appeared in some early Infdev builds and were massive—hard to miss by any measure. At 127x127 blocks wide and 64 blocks tall, they towered over everything around them. They were also completely solid, totaling about 344,000 bricks. It was obviously over the top and likely meant as a test, but it left a big impression.
5. Minecraft isometric screenshots: F7 world capture in Indev
Version: all Indev versions
A feature many would still love today: isometric screenshots in Indev. Pressing F7 captured an image of the entire world from an isometric perspective. With limited world size, these shots were easier to generate, though a modern adaptation could simply cap render size. Screenshots of worlds with floating and vertically stacked islands looked especially cool. This alone makes revisiting those Indev versions worthwhile.
6. Minecraft Winter Mode: permanent snow world before biomes
Version: Alpha v1.0.4 to Alpha v1.1.2_01
Before rudimentary biomes arrived with the Alpha 1.2 Halloween Update, newly generated worlds had a 25% chance to be winter worlds. In these, the entire world was covered in snow, it snowed constantly, and water would gradually freeze over. It was a refreshing change from Alpha’s neon-green grass. The main drawback was sugar cane, which was extremely rare in those worlds.
7. Minecraft Super Secret Settings and 3D Anaglyph shader
Version: 1.7.2 (Snapshot 13w38a) to 1.9 (Snapshot 15w31a)
The Super Secret Settings lasted in the game for quite a while and could be found in the graphics settings. With a single click, players could cycle through various visual modes, some more practical than others. From a 3D glasses mode (3D Anaglyph) to a CRT-TV look and outline effects, there were funny, gimmicky, and sometimes demanding shaders to try. The underlying shaders were fully removed only in 2024, even though they had gone unused for about a decade.
8. Minecraft old sounds: nostalgic audio before Release 1.0
Version: all versions before Release 1.0
Players from early Alpha and Beta will remember many of the old sounds that were removed when the game hit full release. While some lingered for a bit longer, there’s now little trace of Minecraft’s original soundscape. From Steve’s iconic “ow” to the old creeper explosion, none of it remains today.
9. Minecraft chainmail crafting: recipe with fire in Indev
Version: Indev 2010-02-12-1210 to Snapshot 14w25a (Version 1.8)
Even today, some players might not realize there’s chainmail armor in Minecraft. It can only be obtained through villager trades or rarely in woodland mansions. But there used to be a crafting recipe—an unusual one at that. You could craft chainmail with fire, though it wasn’t exactly clear how you were supposed to obtain “fire” as an item. The recipe was removed when fire mechanics were reworked in Version 1.8 and the item itself was taken out.
10. Minecraft enchanted golden apple: crafting in early versions
Version: Snapshot 12w21a (Version 1.3.1) to Snapshot 15w44a (Version 1.9)
Finally, the enchanted golden apple—an extremely rare item today—that you could craft yourself for about three years. The recipe was pricey, using 8 full gold blocks, but it fit naturally into gameplay. Its effects were likely too powerful, which is why it’s now only found as loot.
Conclusion: A look back at removed Minecraft features
Minecraft’s early evolution is fascinating, revealing many features that laid the groundwork for what we have today. Whether it’s gears turning into Redstone or Winter Mode as a precursor to biomes, a lot of concepts were tested. That also includes quirky things like hidden graphics settings, isometric screenshots, and long-forgotten recipes.
Thanks to the version selector in the launcher, you can experience old Minecraft features yourself. Rent your own Minecraft server and dive into the game’s past together with friends.
