Abstract:
Mojang recently announced two important elements of the first game update plan for Minecraft in 2027 at the TwitchCon 2026 event held in San Diego, USA: a new long-range weapon that can automatically return to the player's hand after being thrown, and the long-anticipated complete off-hand function of the Bedrock Edition. This means that Bedrock Edition players can finally use their hands to equip different items more freely like Java Edition players.
The new weapon announced this time is called Throwing Disc, which can be translated as throwing Frisbee in Chinese. It is a long-range attack weapon with spinning characteristics. After the player throws it, the Frisbee will attack the enemy along the flight path, and then automatically return to the hand of the thrower. Unlike traditional bows, snowballs and other disposable projectiles, this weapon can be used repeatedly and does not require re-making or replenishing ammunition after each attack.
The most interesting feature of throwing a Frisbee is its ejection mechanism. Mojang said that the normal flight distance of this weapon is not particularly far, but players can use hard surfaces such as walls and the ground to make the flying disc bounce, thereby extending its flight trajectory. This design not only increases the tactical use of the weapon, but also provides players with more room to play, such as adjusting the throwing angle to allow the disc to bypass obstacles and attack enemies hiding behind.
In addition, throwing Frisbees also has certain penetration capabilities. When multiple enemies are lined up along the same flight path, the Frisbee can continuously pass through and attack multiple targets, instead of stopping immediately after hitting the first enemy. This gives it certain advantages when facing groups of zombies, skeletons and other hostile creatures, and may also bring new ways to play mini-games between players.
In terms of the production system, throwing Frisbee will provide five different material versions, namely copper, iron, gold, diamond and nether alloy. Players can choose crafting materials based on their own resource reserves to create throwing frisbees of different levels. Mojang has not announced the specific damage value, durability and other attribute differences corresponding to each material, and the final balance plan still needs to be confirmed by subsequent test versions.
It is worth noting that the throwing Frisbee can be used in the main hand or the off-hand. This naturally leads to another major improvement announced this time: Bedrock Edition will finally receive full off-hand item support.
For players familiar with the Java version of "Minecraft", the off-hand system is no stranger. As early as 2016, Java Edition already allowed players to equip items in the other hand, such as shields, torches, and other items that can be used in the off-hand. This mechanism provides considerable convenience for combat, exploration, and construction.
However, Bedrock Edition has long had significant limitations in this regard. Although players can hold a few specific items such as shields, firework rockets, totems of the undying, and nautilus shells in their off-hands, they cannot freely put various items into their off-hands like in the Java version. For players who are accustomed to using two-handed equipment, this difference has always been a relatively obvious functional gap between the two versions.
This update will completely change that. Mojang confirmed that the Bedrock Edition will get a more complete off-hand system, and players will be able to equip a wider variety of items in the other hand in the future, including tools and pickaxes. The developers even showed off a scene with players holding different items in both hands to illustrate the freedom the new feature brings.
This improvement not only adds a way to equip, but may also change the daily gaming habits of Bedrock Edition players. For example, players can hold tools in one hand and prepare other items in the other hand, reducing the need to frequently switch inventory during mining, construction, and exploration. For combat players, equipping different props with both hands will also bring more combination possibilities.
Mojang stated that full deputy support will first enter the next Preview version of Bedrock Edition for players to experience and test in advance. As for the specific release date of the official version, it has not yet been announced.
Both features announced this time are planned to be added to the first Minecraft Game Drop in 2027. In recent years, Mojang has gradually adjusted the content update method of "Minecraft". It no longer relies entirely on large-scale theme updates once a year in the past. Instead, it continues to provide players with new creatures, new items, and gameplay mechanisms through multiple relatively small-scale game content updates.
Judging from the content announced this time, Mojang obviously hopes to further enrich the combat system while maintaining the original sandbox experience of the game, and narrow the long-standing functional differences between Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. In particular, the addition of the complete off-hand function is undoubtedly an important improvement that has been overdue for many years for the Bedrock Edition, which has a large number of cross-platform players.
As for whether the new throwing Frisbee will eventually become another representative long-range weapon after the Trident, and how effective its ejection and penetration mechanism can be in actual combat, we still need to wait for subsequent preview versions and official updates to give the answer.
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