Minecraft wraps up its massive mob makeover with the final batch of baby mobs. Take a look at the redesigned models for the younger pandas, sniffers, hoglins, zoglins, and striders.
Minecraft Unveils Visual Overhaul for Remaining Baby Mobs
Spot Them in Java Snapshot and Bedrock Beta/Preview
Minecraft completes the baby mob redesign rollout with the infant panda, sniffer, and three Nether creatures (hoglin, zoglin, and strider). Their mini versions went live in the Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 8 for Java Edition and in the Beta/Previews for Bedrock Edition.
Described as "no thoughts, just baby," the brand-new panda cub remains remarkably charming for players, just like its adult form. Each of its personality types (normal, lazy, worried, playful, aggressive, weak, and brown), combined with a newly added wobbly walking animation, reflects its updated childish and fluffy appeal.
The ancient sniffing mob that digs up rare seeds was not excluded. Snifflets, the Sniffer youngsters, don their signature oversized snouts to maintain their "adorable snoot and sploot." They have a slightly more horizontal build than their older models, in both senses of the word.
Going over to the Nether, baby hoglins have smaller tusks and bodies, but the developer assures players that "these little trotters are still as hostile as ever." Meanwhile, baby zoglins instill the same eerie vibe as their adult counterparts, despite their smaller frame.
The baby strider now has a more prominent, permanent frown on its face and a "tiny tuft of hair" befitting that of a child. Still, they are not yet available as mounts in the Nether until they become adults.
Part of Minecraft’s “Cutest Drop Yet”
Previously in January, Mojang revealed the first batch of babies with visual overhauls for their models and textures, introducing fresh looks for newborn farm animals. This included the wolf pup, piglet, and kitten, among others.
Since then, the sandbox title has dropped a series of visual revamps for other baby mobs—mounts, aquatic, wild, and hostile. These models had largely remained in their "scaled down" versions of their adult forms for years before receiving makeovers in the game's development builds.
Alongside other specific technicalities and bug fixes, the new entity textures and remodels are part and parcel to ongoing features in Minecraft's development builds. They are currently available for player testing and open to feedback before Mojang finalizes them in the first game drop of 2026, which is expected to arrive in March, based on the three-month release cycle. There are typically three to four drops annually.
A "game drop" is a Minecraft term for a major update, each centered on a particular theme. Drawing from recent features, the next drop appears to "go all in on cuteness overload" to address the community's "plea for even more cuteness," according to the description on its YouTube video.
Cuteness Attracts Mixed Reviews
As of now, fans' reception to the reveals thus far is mixed. On the one hand, some say the drop is shaping up to be a mere filler with no relevant impact on gameplay. They believe that this might simply be "laying the technical framework" for bigger drops the rest of the year, dressed in texture redesigns on the surface.
Nonetheless, many are also showing their excitement for the new baby mobs and features such as craftable name tags. For them, the theme of cuteness aligns with a seasonal drop in spring.
Minecraft Java Edition is available on PC, while Bedrock Edition is available on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, and Mobile devices. For more information about Minecraft, check out our article below:
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The final baby mobs are here
The first features from our cutest drop yet
THE CUTEST DROP YET!
Reddit: ‘What do you think about the new update’
Reddit: ‘Is the spring 2026 drop going to be intentionally super small to adjust our expectations?’
