Minecraft’s ‘Chase The Skies’ Update – Here’s EVERYTHING You Need to Know

June 16, 2025: Good news for Minecraft fans — Mojang’s long-awaited “Chase The Skies” update is officially launching tomorrow, bringing with it a sweeping array of exciting new features, including the franchise’s first-ever flying mount and a bold visual overhaul called Vibrant Visuals.

🦴 Soar Through the Nether with Your Own Pet Ghastling

One of the headline features of the update is the introduction of flying mounts. Players can now discover and craft a “dried ghast” block in the Nether using ghast tears and soul sand. Once placed in water, the block transforms into a Ghastling, a personal flying companion players can ride across the Minecraft skies.

This is a game-changing addition for longtime players, opening up new possibilities for exploration and traversal, especially in vertical builds and adventure maps.

👥 Friend Finder and Mob Management

The update also introduces a player location bar, a handy new feature that allows players to easily track their friends across the overworld. Whether you’re in a massive co-op survival world or a chaotic PvP server, this feature makes coordination easier than ever.

Additionally, Mojang is adding leads and saddles to enhance how mobs and mounts interact. Players can now leash mobs together — even boats and mounts — and make their mounts more comfortable (and stylish) with saddles.

🎨 Vibrant Visuals: Minecraft’s New Look Starts Now

Perhaps the most striking change is the rollout of Vibrant Visuals, a brand-new graphical update that marks Minecraft’s first major aesthetic upgrade since the cancelled Super Duper Graphics Pack. According to Mojang, Vibrant Visuals enhances lighting, shadows, and overall rendering — but will initially be available only on Minecraft: Bedrock Edition.

“Vibrant Visuals is just the first step,” Mojang wrote in a blog post. “We plan to bring it to Minecraft: Java Edition in the future.”

Marketplace items like Add-Ons, Skins, and Persona items will be compatible with Vibrant Visuals, though Worlds and Texture Packs will not be at launch.

💻 Supported Devices (No Splitscreen!)

Devices that support Vibrant Visuals include:

• Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
• PlayStation 4 and 5
• Android (Adreno 640, Mali-G68/G77, Xclipse 530 or higher)
• iOS (A12 or M1 chip or higher)
• PC (DirectX 12 required)

Note: Splitscreen multiplayer is not supported with Vibrant Visuals. If multiple players join locally, the game will revert to “Fancy” or “Simple” rendering modes.

📅 Release Date

The Chase The Skies update launches tomorrow, June 17, 2025, across all compatible platforms. Whether you’re here for the Ghastling mount, the improved visuals, or just a reason to dive back into your survival world, this update is set to redefine the Minecraft experience.