Key Highlights:
- Minecraft’s latest beta adds Shelf Blocks and Copper Golem statue mechanics.
- Shelf Blocks allow instant hotbar swaps and redstone-linked item displays.
- Oxidised Copper Golems now turn into statues, with pose-based redstone signals.
Minecraft’s Bedrock beta has just introduced two fresh mechanics that look set to shift how players build, organise, and automate. The new additions – Shelf Blocks and updated Copper Golem behaviour, are now available to test in the latest Bedrock preview build and form part of Mojang’s broader Game Drop update plans for 2025.
First up is the Shelf Block, a wooden decorative unit that’s much more than it appears.
Shelf Blocks are more than just inventory displays – they introduce the game’s first real loadout-swapping mechanic. Crafted using stripped logs (placed in the top and bottom rows of the crafting grid), these shelves match all existing wood types and take on distinct visual textures depending on the material used. This allows players to theme shelves by biome or purpose.
Each Shelf Block in Minecraft can store up to three visible items. Storage capacity depends on the item type: stackables can go up to 64, partial stackables like eggs can store 16, and unstackable items are limited to 1 per slot. Items are displayed directly and can be swapped manually or via redstone.
When powered by redstone, the shelves automatically replace the rightmost three items in your hotbar with those stored – slot-for-slot. Shelves chained together with redstone expand this system: powering two shelves swaps six items, powering three swaps nine, and so on.
Importantly, these swaps maintain their exact slot positions, allowing players to create role-specific hotbar presets that instantly load when activated.
However, to link multiple shelves into a single inventory group, all blocks must be made from the same wood type. Mixed-material shelves will not connect, which is important when planning station layouts or redstone contraptions.
Currently, Shelf Blocks do not support hopper input from any direction. This limits automation potential for now, though it may change in future updates. Shelves are slightly taller than one block and use a standard block hitbox, meaning decorative quirks (like floating carpets or clipping) can occur. This appears to be a pre-release behaviour and may change in the final build.
The second new feature revolves around the Copper Golem.
Copper Golems now feature a complete oxidation cycle that ends in transformation. Upon reaching full oxidation, they freeze into statues, dropping any item they were holding at the moment they lock up. Only fully oxidised golems turn into statues, partial oxidation stages will not trigger the change.
Each Copper Golem statue can be clicked to cycle through multiple poses such as sitting, standing, walking, or pointing. These poses aren’t just visual; each one emits a unique redstone signal, allowing for advanced redstone logic based on statue orientation.
Players can interact with the statue in several ways:
- Wax the statue with honeycomb to preserve its current pose and oxidation state.
- Unwax it using an axe, which allows further oxidation or interaction.
- If fully oxidised, using an axe will revert the statue to an active Golem entity, letting it walk around and resume behaviour as if nothing happened.
Golem statues can also be broken and picked up, retaining full mobility for base building or contraption relocation. Their slightly taller hitbox also affects block stacking, which may have implications for hidden redstone or trap designs.
At the moment, these updates are exclusive to the Bedrock version, but Mojang has confirmed they’ll reach Java Edition in time. Feedback from players is encouraged, especially on how these systems feel in live builds and whether any quirks or bugs emerge during testing.
You can check out the full preview of Minecraft 1.21.110.20 at Minecraft.net.
These changes may seem small on paper, but their impact is likely to be far-reaching. Shelf Blocks offer Minecraft’s first true hotbar management system, while Copper Golem statues introduce redstone logic linked to visual elements, a combination that expands both creative and technical playstyles in equal measure.