Minecraft Live Predictions 2022! Minecraft 1.20 Update!!!

Minecraft Live 2022 is just around the corner, so I thought it would be fun to predict what might be announced. I could be correct, I could be wrong, or I could be very wrong. Either way, remember: these are just predictions.

With every Minecraft Live, it’s pretty hard to predict what’s going to be added because no one really knows. Mojang keeps announcements secret, and the reveals can feel pretty random. We saw this with updates like The Wild Update and Caves & Cliffs—most people didn’t really know what was coming until Mojang showed it.

I actually like that element of surprise. In this post, I’m going to suggest a few things that I think could possibly happen—while fully admitting there’s a good chance none of it ends up in the game.

Patterns From Past Minecraft Live Events

I’ve been looking back through past Minecraft Live events from 2018, 2019, and 2020, and I noticed some similarities and trends.

2018: Taiga Wins, Others Get Mentioned

In 2018, the Taiga biome won, introducing features like campfires, foxes, berry bushes, and more. During that event, Mojang also mentioned the Savannah and Desert, but those didn’t win and were effectively ignored at the time.

2019: “Badlands” Feels Like a Second Chance for Deserts

In 2019, the Badlands were introduced as a potential update. If you don’t know, the Badlands are sort of a desert-like area. To me, they feel like a strange mix of desert and savannah, but with lots of terracotta and clay.

At first, I thought it would be a weird biome to focus on, especially because it can be relatively rare to find in a world. It made me wonder: why put so much focus on a biome that many players might not even encounter often?

Then it clicked: the Badlands might have been Mojang’s way of revisiting the idea of updating deserts, but with a different label. In other words, since the Desert didn’t win previously, Mojang could have been trying to give players another chance to support something in that direction—without calling it “Desert.”

2020: Mountains Win, Swamps Get Shelved (For Now)

Continuing from 2019, Minecraft Live 2020 included the Mountains, the Badlands, and the Swamp. The Swamp proposal included ideas like frogs, and also mentioned features such as chest boats and mangrove trees.

Players voted for Mountains, and we eventually got the Caves & Cliffs update.

Meanwhile, the Swamp didn’t win, so we didn’t get frogs at the time, even though people liked concepts like chest boats and mangroves.

Why I Think Deserts and Savannahs Could Be Next

All of this leads me to one main prediction: I think Minecraft may update the Desert and Savannah biomes.

I really hope this happens because these biomes can feel underused compared to newer or more recently updated areas. And based on what Mojang has done before, it seems like they don’t always abandon ideas just because they didn’t win a vote.

The Wild Update Proved Mojang Reuses Vote Ideas

In Minecraft Live 2021, Mojang announced The Wild Update, which included a lot of features that were previously discussed during earlier votes—especially swamp-related features like frogs, chest boats, and mangrove trees.

Even though the Swamp didn’t win the original vote, Mojang still brought those ideas into the game later. Personally, I love the frogs (and the Allay, too); they’re really fun additions.

That’s why I think deserts, which have been mentioned multiple times (especially in 2018 and 2019), could eventually get the same treatment: they may not have won a vote, but Mojang might still revisit them because they see an opportunity to improve the game.

And again, the way Mojang presented “Badlands” instead of “Desert” makes me think they’ve been circling around desert-adjacent improvements for a while.

Archaeology Could Fit a Savannah Update

Another reason I think a Savannah/Desert-style update could happen is because of archaeology.

During the Caves & Cliffs era, Mojang talked about an archaeology system where you could find dig sites, brush away blocks, discover treasures, and create custom pots. But they postponed it, saying it would be too much at the time.

I understand why—they already had a lot on their plate, and big changes like world generation can create delays.

If archaeology does return, I think the Savannah could be a perfect biome for it. The vibe of a savannah just feels like it fits the idea of excavation sites and ancient discoveries.

Combat Changes: A Possibility, But Unclear

Combat updates have been mentioned in the past as well. Jeb experimented with a separate combat test version that included various changes. I don’t know if that’s still being developed or if it will be added anytime soon, but I can see the potential.

I’m not entirely sure what the final version would look like, but some of the ideas included things like different weapon cooldown behavior and changes to how combat feels overall.

If it does become a real update, I’m curious to see how it turns out.

Mob Votes and Biome Votes Usually Return

Minecraft Live typically includes a biome vote, a mob vote, or sometimes both. It’s been part of the event for a long time, so I’m pretty sure it’ll happen again this year.

It’s hard to guess what the options could be because Mojang usually keeps them secret, then releases teasers in the weeks leading up to the event to explain each option and prepare everyone for the vote.

Final Thoughts

These are just my thoughts and suggestions on what could potentially be added to Minecraft in the future. None of this is guaranteed—it’s just speculation based on patterns from previous events.

I’m excited to see what Minecraft Live 2022 actually reveals, and I’ll be interested to see how close (or how far) these predictions are.