Gamers also get to use witch cauldrons and dye armor

Feb 10, 2016 23:38 GMT  ·  By

Video game developer Mojang and rights holder Microsoft are announcing that they are planning to launch a major new update for Minecraft, that's called Overworld and should be live for both the Windows 10 edition of the game and the Pocket Edition before the end of the month.

Additional redstone components are the main new element being added to the title, with the official announcement on the Xbox Wire talking about new Minecraft types, comparators, repeaters, droppers, hoppers, trapped chests and dispensers that players will be able to use.

The team adds, "Tangle with spooky witches and their huts during your adventures. Witch huts found while exploring swamps also now contain an exciting new feature – their cauldrons will be filled with a randomly generated potion that you can snag for your own if you’re feeling sticky-fingered."

Color for armor are also being introduced via cauldrons and Minecraft will also feature item frames, which allows gamers to show off loot or maps.

The Overworld update will also introduce slime blocks, wearable pumpkins, red sandstone and improved chicken jockey mobs.

Import and export of maps for the game will also be supported, which means the community can trade worlds.

The Windows 10 version of Minecraft is also getting eight new achievements, called Camouflage, Dispense With This, Tie Dye Outfit, Map Room, Trampoline Bounce, Freight Station, Smelt Everything! and Taste of Your Own Medicine.

At the moment Overworld does not have a clear launch date and the developers will only offer a full list of all the tweaks made to the title when the update is actually out.

Minecraft has expanded since the Microsoft acquisition

The maker of the Xbox One has decided to pick up the game in late 2014, and many fans of the indie creation were worried that the company might decide to restrict access to try to introduce extensive monetization options to the title.

Instead, Microsoft has decided to allow the game to evolve as it did before while encouraging players to get the versions offered for the Windows 10 operating system and mobile devices.

Microsoft entered a deal with Telltale Games which led to the creation of the Story Mode spin-off, which received solid reviews and will probably get a second season at some point in the future.

A new Minecraft version that's specifically designed to be used in classrooms is set to arrive before the end of the year, with a new photo and sharing feature as well as a set of tools that will make it easy for teachers to use it.

Microsoft has also used the video game for one of its early demos for the HoloLens augmented reality technology, but since then it has revealed no plans to link the two products in any meaningful way in the future.

Speculation about a full sequel for Minecraft has existed for a while, but Mojang says that its current plans are to continue to deliver patches and updates for the current version of the title for the foreseeable future.