Java Edition:Vanishing Blocks

Block Outline.png
Update.png
Warning: Upgrading 
This feature uses upgrading and requires specific version paths. Follow the page instructions carefully.
Downgrade2.png
Warning: Downgrading 
This feature uses downgrading which can result in crashes, data loss, or corruption, and requires specific versions. Follow the page instructions carefully.
Gear.gif
This article is a work in progress. 
Please help in the creation of this article by expanding or improving it.

Vanishing blocks are blocks which disappear after an upgrade or downgrade. The game sets a block it doesn't recognize to air when loaded. After the block is set to air, no updates are given to neighboring blocks. The ability to set a block to air without causing updates is a versatile tool for discontinued block configurations.

Methods

Suspended String

When it was first added in 12w22a (a 1.3.1 snapshot) to 15w47c (a 1.9 snapshot) string could be "suspended" by placing it on non-solid blocks or air, but upgrading this string to 15w49a to 16w05b (1.9 snapshots) will delete it.[1]

Melon and Pumpkin Seeds

Age 0/1 melon and pumpkin seeds placed in 15w35a and 15w35b (1.9 snapshots) will delete itself whenever reloaded.[2]

April Fools' Blocks

Pink Wither.png
Warning: April Fools' 
This feature requires April Fools' versions which may require file renaming or file deletion to load. See the Loading April Fools' Versions tutorial for more information.

2.0

April Fools' version 2.0 (fork of 1.5.1) added a few blocks which could be downgraded or upgraded to versions before or after 2.0 as a vanishing block.

  • Block of Coal - A fake block of coal. Could be downgraded to versions before 2.0 as a vanishing block, but upgrading is slightly harder, as the fake coal block used a data value of 162, which will later become the Acacia Log, or Log2 in 13w43a (1.7.2 snapshot).
  • Etho Slab
  • Burnt-Out Torch

1.RV-Pre1

April Fools' version 1.RV-Pre1 (fork of 1.9.2) added one block which could be downgraded or upgraded to versions before or after 1.RV-Pre1 as a vanishing block.

  • USB Charger Block

20w14∞

April Fools' version 20w14∞ (fork of 20w13b) added a few blocks which could be downgraded or upgraded to versions before or after 20w14∞ as a vanishing block.

  • Netherite Stairs
  • Langton's Ant
  • Cursor
  • Funky Portal
  • Box of Infinite Books

22w13oneBlockAtATime

April Fools' version 22w13oneBlockAtATime (fork of 22w13a) added one block which could be downgraded or upgraded to versions before or after 22w13oneBlockAtATime as a vanishing block.

  • Generic item block

23w13a or b

April Fools' version 23w13a_or_b (fork of 23w13a) added a few blocks which could be downgraded or upgraded to versions before or after 23w13a_or_b as a vanishing block.

  • Cheese
  • Copper Sink
  • Copper Spleaves
  • Golden Chest
  • Pickaxe Block
  • Place Block

24w14potato

April Fools' version 24w14potato (fork of 24w12a) added a few blocks which could be downgraded or upgraded to versions before or after 24w14potato as a vanishing block.

  • Baked potato bricks (slabs, stairs and walls.)
  • Big brain
  • Block of amber
  • Block of corrupted potato peels
  • Block of potato peels
  • Charred baked potato bricks (slabs, stairs and walls.)
  • Corrupted peelgrass block
  • Deepslate poisonous potato ore
  • Expired baked potato bricks (slabs, stairs and walls.)
  • Floatater
  • Floatato
  • Frying table
  • Gravtater
  • Pedestal
  • Peelgrass block
  • Poison farmland
  • Poison path
  • Poisonous mashed potato
  • Poisonous potato block (and variations)
  • Poisonous potato cutter
  • Poisonous potato head block
  • Poisonous potato headpiece
  • Poisonous potato ore
  • Potone (slabs, stairs, walls and ore variants.)
  • Potato battery
  • Potato bud
  • Potato flower
  • Potato fruit
  • Potato leaves
  • Potato pedicule
  • Potato planks (slabs, stairs, fences, fence gates, doors, trapdoors, buttons, signs, hanging signs, and pressure plates.)
  • Potato portal
  • Potato refinery
  • Potato sprouts
  • Potato stem
  • Powerful potato
  • Resin ore
  • Strong roots
  • Taterstone (slabs, stairs and walls.)
  • Terre de pomme
  • Vicious potato
  • Weak roots


  1. MC-94104. bugs.mojang.com.
  2. MC-87215. bugs.mojang.com.