One Minecraft Vibrant Visuals Addition Makes the Case for an End Update

Summary

The Vibrant Visuals update in Minecraft includes supernovas in The End, which could prompt a long-overdue update.
The last significant update to The End was in 2016, and the addition of supernovas may indicate a new update is coming.
Mojang’s focus on small, targeted content drops could lead to changes in The End’s atmosphere and environment.

Besides the lighting and graphical improvements coming in Minecraft‘s Vibrant Visuals content drop, one of its seemingly small and superficial additions could help make the case for an overhaul of The End dimension. Though much of the focus on Mojang’s upcoming Vibrant Visuals update has centered around long-overdue enhancements to the game’s visual performance, players have highlighted one particular change to Minecraft‘s The End dimension that appears to introduce atmospheric “supernovas.” While the new ambient lighting effect may only be a surface-level change to Minecraft‘s endgame environment, it could prompt another overdue and highly requested update to The End dimension.

Even when acknowledging that Mojang has shifted to smaller, more focused content drops since Minecraft‘s last major update with 1.21’s Tricky Trials, the last time The End saw any significant changes was during 1.9’s Ender Update in 2016. This means that Minecraft‘s The End has gone nearly a decade without a dedicated update, with the recent addition of supernova events potentially indicating that this could be about to change. However, despite the conflict between calls for new End-related content and preserving the dimension’s atmospheric emptiness, even with Minecraft‘s new supernovas, it might be time for Mojang to update The End once again.

Minecraft Vibrant Visuals Update Feature Request

Minecraft’s Vibrant Visuals Update Makes a Case for One Long-Requested Feature

Vibrant Visuals are changing Minecraft’s entire aesthetic outlook, and there’s an opening for Mojang to make an even bigger change.

After Vibrant Visuals’ Supernovas, Minecraft’s The End Deserves An Update

As part of Minecraft‘s Vibrant Visuals update, The End’s new supernovas appear to be distant bursts of purple light that occur every minute or so. An example of these supernovas was shared by Reddit user Impulv, showing exactly what happens on screen.

Beyond the potential implications these ambient events could have on fan theories about Minecraft lore, The End’s supernovas could arguably have an equal impact on the dimension’s overall vibe and its future design. For example, given that The End’s supernovas might parallel real-world astronomical phenomena, Mojang may explore other space-related ideas for future changes to the blocks, mobs, and structures of Minecraft‘s final dimension.

As a result, regardless of whether The End’s supernovas were intended to be one of many small additions in Minecraft‘s Vibrant Visuals update, it could be the change that forces Mojang’s hand as players’ attention is drawn back to the endgame dimension. More specifically, the latest addition could be used to help Mojang test the waters for any future and potentially controversial changes it might make after so long, especially when interest in updating Minecraft‘s The End remains divided. But with its new content drop approach, Mojang has the chance to make both sides happy if one of Minecraft‘s next updates focuses on The End.

Minecraft’s Next Content Drop Should Focus on The End

Given that several of Mojang’s recent updates have revolved around some of Minecraft‘s oldest and most overlooked features, ranging from Vibrant Visuals’ graphics improvements to Chase the Skies’ craftable saddles, a new content drop for The End after nearly a decade would continue this trend. What’s more, while revamping The End might have been a tall order under Mojang’s former update model, its new focus on small-scale, targeted changes could be the perfect alternative for updating the Minecraft dimension. Much like the introduction of supernovas in Vibrant Visuals, Minecraft‘s next content drop could make similarly small yet significant changes to the End.

An End-Specific Drop Could Be The Best of Both Worlds For Minecraft

Using supernovas as a starting point, a future drop could potentially explore other ways to enhance the End’s atmosphere and environment, such as more ambient effects inspired by real-world phenomena like auroras and black holes. Moreover, provided that any changes are balanced with the End’s inherent emptiness and strangeness, the list below outlines several ways Mojang could either improve or expand on various areas of the Minecraft dimension.

Adding new design variations for End Cities and Ships.
Adding new End-specific blocks and ores, like Chiseled End Stone Bricks or Chiseled Purpur Block.
Enhancing End-specific mobs, such as Endermite hives or baby Ender Dragons.
Introducing new End-specific biomes, potentially based on forests or caves.

Ultimately, while Mojang might have held back on overhauling Minecraft‘s most otherworldly dimension, smaller updates like adding supernovas through targeted drops might be better for a long-overdue update to the End.