Minecraft Update Adds Long-Requested Wolf Variants After Over 10 Years of Waiting

Since Mojang added wolves to Minecraft’s Java Edition beta in 2011, they’ve remained pretty much the same, with only one variant (in comparison to the game’s 11 different cats and an impressive 2,700 different tropical fish). Quite a few players have begged Mojang to add more wolves — and now, after 13 years, it seems their work has finally paid off.

In a blog post today, Mojang revealed that it’s testing out eight new wolf variations for the game’s next update. According to the blog post, each new wolf variant lives in its own biome and has its own rarity. (The game’s original wolf is also sticking around in the taiga biome, but it’s now called the Pale Wolf.)

While Minecraft’s revamped wolves aren’t in an official release of the game right now, they can currently be tested by installing the most recent snapshot, which also features the long-requested wolf armor.

Of course, the Minecraft community was thrilled by the long-awaited announcement, with a few players sharing that the update was enough to draw them back into the game.

they added wolf variants to minecraft LETS GOOOO pic.twitter.com/KuO4DQMfww

— Dave Kratzy (@Krtzyy) March 6, 2024

GUYSS THE NEW MINECRAFT DOG VARIANTS!!! which one if you favorite personally I’d do anything for the little chestnut guy and the woods wolf pic.twitter.com/njeUoyPTxX

— Snifferish (@snifferish) March 6, 2024

minecraft phase is about to come back because of this https://t.co/t8E4onrQbw

— ad (@addriiom) March 6, 2024

A few players even deemed it the game’s best snapshot ever.

minecraft snapshot 24w10a adds new dogs to minecraft. is this the best snapshot ever?? pic.twitter.com/Vi3q0s6R22

— wattles 💎 (@itiswattles) March 6, 2024

Best Minecraft snapshot ever.

— fWhip : Bryce (@Failwhip) March 6, 2024

We gave Minecraft a 9 in our 2011 review, calling it “a blank page just daring you to jump in and do with it what you will.” Since then, it’s changed quite a bit, with its latest major update adding camels and archaeology. The game’s annual addition of mobs hasn’t been without controversy, though — last year, players even “unionized” to petition Mojang to abolish the mob vote.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and they’re currently developing a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.