Minecraft Bedrock Edition has a new update. Version 1.21.80.25 brings new features, better visuals, and small but important fixes. This patch adds two major changes that many players have been waiting for: Vibrant Visuals and Ghastling. While there are many bug fixes and add-ons, these two are the superstars of this patch. Here is everything you need to know about the Minecraft Bedrock 1.21.80.25 update and more!

Vibrant Visuals and Ghastling are finally here

The Vibrant Visuals feature is now available for players who enable experimental settings. It improves lighting and reflections. Water shines more clearly. Shadows move more naturally. Players can choose between higher performance and better visuals, depending on their device.

The Ghastling feature adds a new type of mob. It starts from a block called the Dried Ghast. After some time, the Ghastling grows into a Happy Ghast, which is a large flying mount. The Happy Ghast can carry up to four players. It gives players a new way to travel, especially in the Nether. 

The update also includes new blocks, items, gameplay changes, and technical tools. Mojang has fixed several bugs and added support for creators who build maps, commands, and custom content.

Everything about Minecraft Bedrock 1.21.80.25

The latest Minecraft Preview and Beta update brings major new content, gameplay mechanics, and experimental features. From flying on a Happy Ghast to testing the new Vibrant Visuals mode, here’s everything you need to know about version 1.21.80.25.

New Experimental Features: Drop 2 2025

To access these features, activate the “Drop 2 2025” experimental toggle in the world creation settings.

Dried Ghast Block

• Found in Nether Fossil structures
• Can be crafted using 1 Bone Block and 8 Ghast Tears
• When waterlogged, it progresses through three stages over approximately 20 minutes and spawns a Ghastling
• Emits sound and visual effects during transformation
• If mined or removed from water, it resets to its dry state

Ghastling

• A baby version of the Happy Ghast
• Spawns from a fully waterlogged Dried Ghast block
• Follows nearby players or passive mobs
• Can be tempted and fed using Snowballs
• Grows into a Happy Ghast after about 20 minutes, or sooner if fed
• Summonable using: /summon happy_ghast ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ minecraft:spawn_baby

Happy Ghast

• A new flying mob mountable by up to four players
• Grows from a Ghastling
• Can be equipped with a Harness for riding
• Controlled by the first player who mounts
• Goggles lower when piloted, indicating it's ready to fly
• Regenerates health over time; regeneration speeds up during rain, snow, or cloud-level flight
• Does not panic when taking damage
• Cannot be bred and cannot enter boats
• Roams near its home position when unmounted
• Known Issue: Currently has 40 health, intended value is 20

Harness Item

• Used to ride the Happy Ghast
• Crafted from 3 Leather, 2 Glass Blocks, and 1 Wool Block (wool color determines harness color)
• Can be dyed
• Removable with Shears when no players are mounted

Vibrant Visuals (Experimental Graphics Mode)

Vibrant Visuals introduces advanced lighting, reflections, and visual effects for a more immersive experience.

Key Features

• Enhanced shadows, glittering water, and new rendering effects
• Toggle available in the “Video Settings” under the “Graphics Mode” section
• Options to favor performance or visuals
• Vibrant Visuals Options available for advanced customization

Device Requirements

• Android: Adreno 640, Mali-G68, Mali-G77, or Xclipse 530 and above
• iOS: A12 or M1 chips and newer
• PC: Requires DirectX 12
• Console: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

Compatibility Notes

• Skins and Marketplace items are supported
• Worlds and texture packs are not compatible at this stage
• Splitscreen is not supported and reverts to standard rendering

Known Issues

• Visual glitches on some Android devices, especially Mali GPUs
• Water darker than expected beyond eight blocks
• Lighting inconsistencies near caves and underground
• Textures may turn pink after certain actions (e.g., suspending the game)
• Emissive surfaces may appear incorrect under some conditions
• Missing custom block icons

Gameplay Fixes and Improvements

Character Creator

• Fixed incorrect player model sizes with custom skins (MCPE-189739)

Blocks

• Random offsets for many blocks now match Java Edition:
• Flowers, Bamboo, Coral, Dripstone, Tall Grass, and others

Gameplay

• Fixed a bug allowing players to sprint faster in water than when swimming

Mobs

• Farmers no longer get stuck while harvesting crops (MCPE-166344)

Music

• Fixed missing credits music when accessed from the paused menu (MCPE 190625)

Items

• Shields now take durability damage from explosions (MCPE-121484)

Recipes

• Fixed an issue where players could still craft unknown recipes despite limited crafting mode (MCPE-186699)

Technical Updates

API and Commands

• locatorBar game rule command added
• Difficulty enum and methods moved from beta to v1.19.0
• Player methods and bounding box utilities renamed and released

Components and Items

• New render methods for block transparency:
  • blend_to_opaque, alpha_test_to_opaque, and alpha_test_single_sided_to_opaque
• "tint_method" no longer requires creator toggle in several components
• Harness icons now handled correctly via IconItemComponent

Editor

• Improved structure panel behavior
• Trim and Remove Air functions added
• Selection behavior now respects world bounds

Entity Filters

• New filter: has_equipment_tag for checking item tags on entities

Scripting and Molang

• query.has_any_leashed_entity_of_type() allows checking for multiple leashed entities
• Server Admin update includes AsyncPlayerJoinBeforeEvent, enabling control over player entry using promises

Graphical Improvements (Deferred Technical Preview)

• New lighting model for clouds
• Pixelated reflections and shadows now available
• Configurable through shadows/global.json using:

json
CopyEdit
{
 "format_version": "1.21.80",
 "minecraft:shadow_settings": {
   "shadow_style": "blocky_shadows",
   "texel_size": 16
 }
}

How to enable experimental features

To test the new content:

1. Open the world creation or edit menu
2. Activate “Drop 2 2025” and/or “Vibrant Visuals” under Experimental Settings
3. Adjust graphic settings from the in-game video options

For the full announcement, check out Minecraft’s website.

Minecraft Bedrock 1.21.80.25 adds new gameplay and visual features while fixing bugs and improving performance. The update gives players a new way to raise mobs, fly with friends, and enjoy better graphics. Mojang also continues to support mapmakers and coders with new tools and systems.