Minecraft Snapshot 25w18a Unveils Happy Ghasts, Crafting Overhauls, and Potion Physics
Minecraft Snapshot 25w18a introduces thrilling updates like rideable happy ghasts, realistic splash potion physics, and revolutionary lead crafting, transforming gameplay.
As a longtime Minecraft adventurer, I'm buzzing about Snapshot 25w18a! This Java Edition preview transforms gameplay with rideable happy ghasts, simplified lead crafting, and revolutionary splash potion physics. These aren't just tweaks—they're foundational shifts arriving just weeks before June's Summer Update. I've spent hours testing these features, and trust me, the soul sand valley will never feel the same after taming your first floating companion. Mojang's also sneakily enriched lore connections while fixing persistent bugs like MC-296354 where ghasts ignored potions. This snapshot fundamentally alters how we interact with mobs, potions, and even font rendering!
🪀 Taming Happy Ghasts Just Got Simpler
These floating Nether friends (revealed at Minecraft LIVE 2025) finally have a clear taming path! Here's what I discovered:
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Find dried ghast blocks in soul sand valleys (rare!) or craft them using soul sand + ghast tears (no more bone blocks!)
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Hydrate blocks in Overworld water to spawn baby ghastlings 🍼
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Feed them snowballs until adulthood
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Saddle up and soar!
What blew my mind? Happy ghasts ignore terrain barriers when ridden! During testing, I built floating bases 200 blocks up in survival mode. Their new home_pos tag keeps them anchored, though MC-296898 warns about slight position drifting.
🧪 Splash Potions Now Use Real Physics
No more guessing potion effectiveness! The new distance-based mechanics work like this:
| Distance from Impact | Effect Strength | Practical Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Direct hit 💥 | 100% | Boss fights |
| Equal group distance | Uniform effect | Crowd control |
| Distant splash | Weakened | Area denial |
During my Nether raid tests, zombie piglins clustered together received identical weakness effects—game-changing for raid prep! This fixes MC-200925 where ghasts ignored headshots.
🧶 Lead Crafting Revolutionized
Goodbye slime farms! Leads now require:
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4 strings (no slime balls!)
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1 trip to your sheep pen 🐑
This pairs perfectly with last week's leash overhaul letting you tether mobs to boats. I chained 10 chickens to a canoe—pure chaos!
🔧 Under-the-Hood Upgrades
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Mob Homing: Bats/slimes ignore new
home_radiuslimits, but most mobs stay put -
Font Magic: Unifont 16.0.03 adds Tengwar/Sitelen Pona scripts 👾
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Critical Bug Fixes:
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MC-279284 (XP orbs stuck in blocks)
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MC-297114 (false Realm expiration warnings)
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MC-280502 (typo in parser translations)
People Also Ask
❓ Can happy ghasts enter the End?
Not yet—their pathfinding breaks near portals!
❓ Do splash potions affect saddled ghasts?
Yes, but riders get immunity!
❓ Why remove bone blocks from crafting?
Lore hints about soul sand's Nether origins!
FAQ
Q: How do I update to snapshot 25w18a?
A: In Minecraft Launcher, enable snapshots in "Installations" then select 25w18a!
Q: Can dried ghast blocks be bartered?
A: Yes! Piglins now trade them—average 8 gold ingots per block.
Q: Do baby ghastlings attack players?
A: Never! They’re passive until adulthood.
Q: What’s the splash potion maximum range?
A: Effects vanish beyond 9 blocks—tested with weakness potions.
Q: Why add home positions to mobs?
A: Prevents villagers wandering from villages! Set via /data commands.
Q: Are resource packs broken?
A: Update to version 59! Strict JSON parsing now enforced.
After 72 hours testing, I’m convinced this snapshot makes survival builds infinitely smoother. Riding happy ghasts over lava oceans while tossing precision potions at hoglins? That’s the 2025 Minecraft dream! Just remember—feed those ghastlings extra snowballs for faster growth ❄️➡️🪁