1.3

Minecraft 1.3 introduced emerald-based villager trading and Adventure mode, and merged singleplayer and multiplayer onto a single internal server. It was released on August 1, 2012 as one of the game's numbered feature updates.

At its heart, 1.3 is trading, exploration, and a new way to play. The standout addition is trading with villagers using emeralds, and Adventure mode for custom maps. The first update built on a unified client-server architecture for both single and multiplayer.

This page breaks 1.3 down into 8 headline features, 4 notable gameplay or technical changes and 2 documented fixes, and a plain-language summary of why the update matters. Java Edition is the original PC version of Minecraft, available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The most talked-about part of Minecraft 1.3 is trading with villagers using emeralds, and Adventure mode for custom maps.

In full, 1.3 adds trading with Villagers, adventure mode, emeralds and Emerald Ore, Ender Chests, Tripwire Hooks and tripwire, Written Books, Cocoa Beans as a crop, and sandstone stairs. Together these are what make the 1.3 update worth updating to, and each appears in the Major Features list on this page.

Beyond new content, 1.3 reworks how parts of the game behave. The notable changes include singleplayer is now a local server internally, Added LAN multiplayer support, bonus chest option for new worlds, and desert temples and jungle temples added. Adjustments of this kind reshape day-to-day play for existing worlds as much as new ones.

On the bug-fixing side, 1.3 resolves improved world generation performance and fixed various trading exploits. Several of these are performance-focused, so the update can feel smoother even where nothing visible changed.

To play Minecraft 1.3 on Java Edition, open the official Minecraft Launcher, select the Java Edition tab, and use the version dropdown beside the Play button to choose 1.3. As a full release it appears in the standard release list by default.

Before updating an existing world to 1.3, it is good practice to copy the save folder first. Worlds from 1.2 upgrade in place, but newly generated chunks will use 1.3's world generation while older chunks keep their original terrain.