Minecraft updates list: releases, snapshots and the full Java history

The complete list needs more than version numbers

Minecraft Java Edition has used several naming systems. The string 1.20.4 looks like a number, but it is a release label, not a decimal value. b1.7.3, a1.0.16_05, 23w31a and 26.2 belong to different parts of the development history and cannot be sorted safely with ordinary alphabetical order.

The MCReference Minecraft version index uses Mojang's published manifest and keeps the entries in release chronology. It separates full releases from snapshots, pre-releases, release candidates and historical development builds, while also showing the Java requirement, protocol and data version where Mojang publishes them.

The major update eras

Early development: rd-, Classic, Indev and Infdev

The first public builds were experiments rather than a stable release line. Early IDs such as rd-132211 belong to the pre-Classic period. Classic used labels such as c0.0.11a, while Indev and Infdev used dated or phase-specific names.

Those names matter when identifying an old client or map, but they are not modern compatibility targets. A project that worked with an Infdev build cannot be treated as a project that supports a later release merely because its label contains a larger-looking number.

Alpha and Beta

Alpha and Beta brought Minecraft closer to the survival game people recognise. Alpha labels such as a1.0.16_05 and Beta labels such as b1.7.3 still describe development stages. Beta 1.7.3 is not “version 1.7.3” in the modern sense, and it should not be mixed into a 1.7.3 server software search without checking the type.

The 1.x release line

Minecraft 1.0.0 was the first full Java Edition release. Mojang then used the familiar 1.x line for releases such as 1.2.3, 1.8.9, 1.12.2, 1.16.5 and 1.21.11. Snapshots and pre-releases appeared alongside that line and were part of the development path, but they were not interchangeable with the final release.

Calendar versioning in 2026

In 2026, Java Edition moved to calendar versioning. 26.1 means the first release drop of 2026 and 26.2 means the second. It is not a renamed 1.22, and there will not be a release called 1.22 in that transition. The version-numbering guide explains the change in more detail.

Release types in the update list

The type label is part of the answer:

• Release: the normal public version for a game installation, server or mod target.
• Snapshot: a development build used to test upcoming changes.
• Pre-release: a near-final test build before a release.
• Release candidate: a candidate for the final release, still subject to change.
• April Fools: a deliberately unusual or experimental yearly release that should not be confused with the normal update path.

The newest item by date is not always the version you should install. A release candidate can be newer than the current stable release, while server software and mods may still target the stable version. Use the latest-version page when you need the current release, and use the complete index when you need history.

Why chronological order beats alphabetical order

Alphabetical ordering puts 26.2 and 9.0 in a sequence that looks plausible but is historically wrong. It also cannot place an Alpha build, a snapshot and a release candidate in a meaningful order. Mojang's release dates and version types provide the missing context.

This is especially important for server upgrades. Before changing a world, check the source and destination version pages, read the relevant upgrade guide, and make a backup. A version name alone does not tell you the protocol, Java runtime or whether your plugins and mods have caught up.

Use the list for the question you actually have

If you want one current number, start with the latest Minecraft version. If you want every release, snapshot and historical build, use all Minecraft versions. If you want to know whether a specific server or mod works on a release, open its compatibility page rather than inferring it from the date.

That separation keeps the list useful: a history page answers “what existed and when”, while a compatibility page answers “can I run it now?”.