Minecraft latest public testing update adds new cow variants, shrubbery fireflies, and “bush”

If you could barely contain yourself when Minecraft added a bunch of new pig variants last month, you might want to hold onto something solid: Mojang is back with a brand-new content update for public testing, and this time we’re talking cows.

More specifically, Minecraft’s latest Java snapshot includes a grand total of two cow variants. You’ve got your fur-covered cold cows who’ll wander around those snow-covered biomes, as well as your warm cows who like to do their grazing in sandy biomes.

Speaking of which, Mojang has also introduced new ambient sounds for desert biomes, which include whispering sand, chirping crickets, rustling twigs, and howling winds. Additionally, players can place a dead bush on two outdoor sand blocks, or cluster sand and terracotta blocks together to bring some of that desert ambience back to their own bases.

Elsewhere, there’s a lot going on in the world of bushes. Java snapshot players can also get acquainted with the new firefly bush, which does pretty much exactly what it sounds like – conjuring a dainty swirl of dancing lights around its branches at nighttime. It’s found in swamps and other bodies of water, with players able to retrieve the firefly bush and grow it using bone meal back at base if they want to enjoy it closer to home. Additionally, the firefly bush can be placed under a block to give the block above a sparkly effect.

Still in the realm of shrubbery, Minecraft’s final addition is the evocatively named “bush” – a new bush found in forests, birch forests, plains, windswept hills, and other green biomes. This can also be grown in bone meal if you need all the bushes, all the time.

All the above – as well as the new pig variants, ambient falling leaves, and wildflowers added for testing in January – are available right now as part of Minecraft: Java Edition’s latest snapshot, and can be accessed by enabling snapshots in the launcher’s “Installations” tab. Mojang notes the new features are coming to Bedrock beta and preview “soon” – and everything currently in testing will get a full release at some point later this year.

Mojang hasn’t yet said when Minecraft’s first full content drop of 2025 is due, but it did previously confirm it was changing the way it releases new content. Gone is Minecraft’s traditional mega-sized summer update, replaced by multiple smaller drops throughout the year.