Minecraft Tricky Trials Update: Mace, Chambers, Copper & More!
Last Updated: October 28, 2025
Mojang Studios has pulled back the curtain on the future of its block-building phenomenon, revealing the 1.21 update, now officially titled "Tricky Trials." Announced during the annual Minecraft Live showcase and released in June 2024, this major update delivers a wealth of new content focused on combat, tinkering, and adventure. Headlining the update are the procedurally generated Trial Chambers, the powerful new Mace weapon, and an array of new copper and tuff blocks that finally give the materials a starring role in building and redstone.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Tricky Trials update that has redefined adventure in the Overworld.
Welcome to the Tricky Trials
The centerpiece of the 1.21 update is the Trial Chambers, sprawling new underground structures built from copper and tuff. These dangerous locations offer a fresh combat challenge, as they are procedurally generated, meaning no two layouts are exactly the same. Within these chambers, players face off against waves of hostile mobs summoned by new "Trial Spawners." These spawners adjust the difficulty based on the number of players nearby, ensuring a consistent challenge for solo adventurers and co-op groups alike.
Successfully defeating the challenges rewards players with keys to unlock new Vault blocks scattered throughout the chambers, which dispense high-tier loot without being depleted, giving every player in a group a chance to be rewarded.
A New Age for Copper and Tinkering
While not officially named "The Copper Age," the Tricky Trials update delivered on a long-standing community wish by dramatically expanding the utility of copper. The update introduced a full set of copper-themed building blocks, including Copper Grates, Doors, Trapdoors, and the stunning Chiseled Copper.
A major highlight is the Copper Bulb, a new light source that oxidizes over time, causing its light level to dim. Players can scrape the oxidation off with an axe to restore its brightness or wax the bulb to lock it in a specific state, adding a new layer of atmospheric design for builders.
Beyond aesthetics, the update also introduced the "Crafter," a game-changing redstone block that allows for automated crafting. This single block has revolutionized farms and factories, enabling players to create complex production lines that automatically assemble items on a massive scale.
New Combat Options: The Mace
A highlight for combat enthusiasts is the introduction of the Mace. This heavy-hitting new weapon offers a unique, high-risk, high-reward playstyle, filling a tactical niche beyond the sword and axe. Crafted using a Breeze Rod and a Heavy Core—both found within Trial Chambers—the Mace's true power lies in its special smash attack.
The longer a player falls before landing a blow with the Mace, the more damage it inflicts. A successful strike from a significant height not only creates a powerful area-of-effect knockback, but also negates any fall damage the player would have taken. This introduces thrilling new strategies for combat, encouraging players to use the environment to their advantage when tackling powerful foes like the Warden or when clearing out Trial Chamber arenas.
New Foes and a Fan-Voted Friend
The Trial Chambers are home to two formidable new mobs. The Breeze is a whirlwind of a foe, zipping around arenas and firing projectiles of wind energy that knock players and other entities back. Its unique drop, the Breeze Rod, is essential for crafting the Mace. Joining it is the Bogged, a new skeleton variant that patrols swamps and Trial Chambers. These moss-covered enemies fire poison-tipped arrows, adding a dangerous twist to ranged combat.
Finally, the winner of the 2023 community mob vote, the Armadillo, also scurried into the game with this update. These passive creatures can be found in savanna biomes and drop "scutes" when brushed. These scutes can be used to craft Wolf Armor, providing much-needed protection for players' loyal canine companions.