Mojang Studios’Minecraftis an ever-evolving title that has captivated audiences across the globe since 2009. Few ongoing games can claim half as much longevity asMinecraft, and after Mojang was purchased by Microsoft for $2.5 billion in 2014 its franchise has grown exponentially.Minecraft: Education Editionis a learning tool used by schools to teach subjects like history and science,Minecraft Dungeonsis an ARPG styled afterDiablo, and projects like theAR mobile gameMinecraft Earthhave come and gone.
Yet baseMinecraftcontinues to expand every year with huge updates, many of them detailed at annual MineCon events which became Minecraft Live in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One staple of these events has been the Mob Vote, with players getting to decide which new animal or monster will be added to the game out of a set imagined up by developers. TheAllay won out during Minecraft Live 2021, which means fans can expect its unique brand of assistance to hit the game sometime in the near future.
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Minecraft’s Allay Will be a Helpful Gatherer
Minecraft’s Mob Vote began in 2017, when players selected the Phantom at MineCon Earth. It joined the game with Java Edition 1.13 (also called the Update Aquatic) in July 2018, stalking players from the sky if they do not sleep for three in-game days. The next Mob Vote took place during Minecraft Live 2020, during which thecommunity voted for Glow Squid. This sparkling squid variant, originally fromMinecraft Earth, was added with Java Edition 1.17 (the first half of the Caves & Cliffs update) in June 2021 and drops glow ink sacs that illuminates signs and item frames.
Allay was one of three options for the 2021 Mob Vote alongside the Glare and Copper Golem. Glare was something like a canary in a coal mine, able to move toward areas where the light level was low enough to spawn monsters and warn players by “throwing a hissy fit.” Meanwhile, Copper Golem was an additional use for the newcopper ore added in Caves & Cliffsthat could automatically press buttons, but would oxidize over time and become a statue.
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The next newMinecraftmob is a spritely blue creature that floats around on wings. Players can hand the Allay any item, and it will go around the current loaded chunk of land to gather up to a stack of that same item found on the floor. It doesn’t duplicate items, as much as some fans might want an option to get additional diamonds or Netherite without mining, and it will not take items out of chests. However, the Allay is attracted to note blocks and will drop items in front of one - plus it will dance when the note block is used.
Though this Mob’s usefulness is limited considering it only gathers loose items in its general vicinity, it is clear where this could become a great tool for players. If someone is excavating a hill or cave and doesn’t want to gather all the dirt or stone left behind, an Allay can do that work and drop it into a hopper near a note block so everything funnels into a chest. In fact,farming for materials like sugar cane, iron, or monster drops can also benefit from having a helper around to carry things toward set destinations.
Regardless of its direct usefulness, Allay should help lighten the atmosphere inMinecraftthanks to its friendly demeanor and dancing. Unlike the hostile Phantom and deep sea-diving Glow Squid, players will probably be more likely to run into Allay out in the wild. It will come to the game alongside The Wild Update in 2022, and withMinecrafthitting Xbox Game Pass for PC this weekendthere should be an even bigger audience waiting to see it.
Minecraftis available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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