Minecraft 1.22 Spring to Life launches May 27 — Cherry Orchard biome, six new mobs
Mojang Studios confirmed that Minecraft 1.22 "Spring to Life" releases May 27, 2026 simultaneously for Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. The update is one of the most content-dense since the Caves & Cliffs revamp.
New biome: Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard generates in temperate climates, typically bordering Plains and Meadow biomes. The biome features cherry trees with pink-white blossom canopies, their petals falling in a continuous particle effect. New blocks include:
- Cherry Wood, Cherry Planks, Cherry Slab, Cherry Stairs
- Cherry Door and Cherry Trapdoor
- Cherry Blossom — a decorative block placeable like flowers, and compostable in the Composter
Six new mobs
- Firefly — ambient glow mob spawning in swamps at night. Non-hostile, provides subtle light.
- Crab — passive coastal mob. Drops Crab Claw, a new material used in tool crafting.
- Toad — semi-aquatic mob that eats Slimes and Bats, spawning near water in warmer biomes.
- Wilderbeast — large herd animal found on plains. Reacts defensively to perceived threats as a group.
- Updated Glow Squid — now responds dynamically to surrounding light levels with new animation.
- Baby Allay — juvenile Allay variant with new animations; appears alongside adult Allays in the wild.
Visual seasons
1.22 introduces a seasonal visual cycle: an 8-in-game-day loop that changes foliage colour and adds snow to mountain biomes at the appropriate phase. The change is purely cosmetic and does not affect crop growth, mob spawning, or weather mechanics.
Performance improvements
The update brings a 20–30% improvement to foliage rendering performance on lower-end hardware, including Nintendo Switch. Java Edition also receives an improved particle system that reduces FPS drops in dense mob environments.
When to update
The update goes live May 27 at the same time for Java and Bedrock — no staggered rollout this cycle. Players on Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and consoles will receive the update through their respective storefronts. World backups are recommended before updating, as 1.22 changes chunk generation in the Cherry Orchard biome zone.