Fans voted for the next new mob to be added to Minecraft in this year’s Minecraft Live. Here’s what we think of this year’s lineup.
Minecraft Live and its mob vote community event may be over, but let’s take a look at the three mobs the community was asked to choose from. The candidates this year were particularly adorable, and brought a variety of utilities to the table – though some are decidedly more universal than others. There were two rounds of polls, with the first deciding the top two, and the second poll deciding the winner.
Though it was a close fight, the adorable Allay eventually emerged as this year’s Minecraft mob vote winner.
Last year’s Minecraft winner was the Glow Squid, which was added into Minecraft 1.17 in June earlier this year. Players can expect the Allay to be added in The Wild update that is coming out next year, which includes the new Deep Dark biome.
The Glare
First to be revealed was the Glare – a cranky leaf and vine monster whose primary purpose (besides looking cute) is to alert players when the light levels are low enough to spawn hostile mobs such as Skeletons, Zombies, Spiders, Creepers, and the like. Despite being weeded out in the first round of polls, it was a popular pick amongst many Minecraft Bedrock players.
While Minecraft Java players have the debug screen that enables them to view the light level at any time, Bedrock players do not. As such, the Glare would be extremely useful in helping them avoid potential spawn proofing accidents.
However, it is worth noting that besides its cosmetic value, the Glare has little utility to offer Java players, who have access to the exact light level of their surroundings.
The Allay
Next to be revealed was the music-loving Allay. A friendly, excitable creature, it offers a very unique feature – if you give an Allay an item, it will pick up any of that item that has been dropped on the ground and return them to you on a note block.
A popular choice amongst many players for its sheer practicality alone, its utility spans through any and all editions of Minecraft, appealing to the entire playerbase with its universal functionality and, of course, its devastatingly adorable design.
Additionally, the Allay opens up a whole new world of automated farming in Minecraft, if you’re into that. Many players are already strategising ways it can be used to take their automated farms to the next level. I, however, am a simple manual farmer, so all of this redstone talk flies straight over my head.
Love that for them, but I think I’ll stick with my trusty Netherite hoe.
The Copper Golem
Last, but certainly not the least, we have the Copper Golem – a friendly creature with a lightning rod on its head that loves to push copper buttons (which would have been added to the game along with the Copper Golem).
Like all copper items, the Copper Golem will oxidise over time, before it eventually becomes a statue. Fortunately, this can be remedied if they are struck by lightning, which reverses the oxidation process. Players can also opt to use an axe to remove the oxidation – just like with all other copper blocks. This oxidation mechanic gives the Copper Golem some great – albeit sad, storytelling potential.
Like with the Allay, there was some theorising about using Copper Golems in automation. The two of them were the finalists in the second poll, coming neck and neck for a good few minutes at the beginning of the live poll, though the Allay won by a 4.3% margin.
How much of a game-changer the Allay is remains to be seen. As of now, many players consider the Phantom the most notable or game-changing mob to be voted in, as it pretty much forces players to sleep once every three days, lest their hardcore run end in one fell swoop (those things hit really hard in the early game). Hardcore players and speedrunners had to change their strategies to play around this three-day hard limit.
All things considered, this year’s Minecraft Live mob vote was a tough choice for many members of the community, and we can only hope that the concepts for the mobs that did not make it will be reused or refurbished in the future.
In third place it’s the Glare, we guess you aren’t as afraid of the dark as we are? That leaves the Allay and the Copper Golem going head-to-head in the final round!
Vote for your winner now!
— Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 16, 2021
