Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 6 World Storage Guide

Mojang released minecraft 26.1 snapshot 6 on 3 February 2026, delivering major architectural overhauls to world folder layouts alongside updated models for several baby animals. For administrators managing worlds or evaluating a fresh setup on the Minecraft server list, the update alters filesystem paths, splits dimension folders, and modifies core tags inside level.dat.

The Overhauled World Storage Layout

World saves have undergone a fundamental directory restructuring that separates dimension data and isolates player information into distinct subdirectories.

Dimension Directory Changes

Default dimensions no longer sit directly in the world save root or under legacy abbreviations:

• Overworld region data, entities, poi, and dimension-specific records have moved from the root to dimensions/minecraft/overworld.
• Nether content, formerly stored in DIM-1, now resides in dimensions/minecraft/the_nether.
• End dimension files, formerly under DIM1, now live in dimensions/minecraft/the_end.
• The world resource pack (resources.zip) has relocated into a resourcepacks directory.
• Structure block saves moved from generated/namespace/structures to generated/namespace/structure.

Player Storage and File Renames

Player statistics, progress, and inventory files no longer share root-level space:

• advancements moves to players/advancements.
• playerdata moves to players/data.
• stats moves to players/stats.
• Ticket records in chunks.dat are renamed to chunk_tickets.dat.
• Global ID tracking in idcounts.dat is renamed to last_id.dat.
• Map files now live in data/minecraft/maps, and individual files drop the map_ prefix (such as map_1.dat turning into 1.dat).
• Raids in the End now use raids.dat rather than the old raids_end.dat format.

Namespaced Data and Command Storage

Data files stored inside the top-level data folder are strictly for records shared across dimensions, and entries are now segregated by namespace folders. For instance, global scoreboard records shift from data/scoreboard.dat to data/minecraft/scoreboard.dat. In the same manner, command storage shifts away from namespace suffixes: a file like data/command_storage_foo.dat is converted into data/foo/command_storage.dat.

Refactored level.dat Tags and World Generation Rules

Snapshot 6 strips several legacy structures out of level.dat and moves them into dedicated data files.

Moving Systems Out of level.dat

Multiple world mechanics have been extracted into individual NBT files inside data/minecraft/:

• wandering_trader.dat: Holds Wandering Trader parameters. WanderingTraderId is removed entirely, while spawn chances and delays use spawn_chance and spawn_delay.
• custom_boss_events.dat: Houses custom boss bars.
• weather.dat: Tracks weather timers under clear_weather_time, rain_time, and thunder_time.
• scheduled_events.dat: Tracks callbacks with snake_case fields like trigger_time and callback.
• game_rules.dat and world_clocks.dat: Store runtime rules and clock records, expanding on earlier time tracking features introduced in Minecraft 26.1 snapshot 3.
• world_gen_settings.dat: Extracted world generation data, where generate_features is renamed to generate_structures.

Inside level.dat itself, Player has been superseded by singleplayer_uuid. Difficulty values now live inside a difficulty_settings compound tag, where difficulty is a string (peaceful, easy, normal, or hard) rather than an integer, and DifficultyLocked has been renamed to locked.

Ender Dragon Progression and Dimension Settings

Ender Dragon fight data is no longer held in level.dat. It has moved to dimensions/minecraft/the_end/data/minecraft/ender_dragon_fight.dat. Mojang added respawn_time (elapsed time in the current sequence stage) and respawn_crystals (UUIDs of active end crystals), while state scanning and dragon identifiers use needs_state_scanning, dragon_uuid, and respawn_stage.

Dimension type definitions also gained the has_ender_dragon_fight boolean tag, allowing the boss sequence to run in dimensions other than the End.

Worldgen Feature Rule Changes

Worldgen features now use updated nomenclature and optional fallbacks. The forest_rock feature has been renamed to block_blob (taking state and can_place_on predicates), while ice_spike is renamed to spike (accepting state, can_place_on, and can_replace). Trees replace the legacy force_dirt and dirt_provider parameters with below_trunk_provider.

What This Breaks and Server Upgrade Requirements

Upgrading to Data Pack version 99 and Resource Pack version 80 introduces rigid conversion boundaries.

• Forced Backups and One-Way Conversion: Worlds loaded in this snapshot require migration. The singleplayer interface disables "Edit World" and "Re-Create World" until processed via an "Upgrade and Play" screen. Mojang forces an automated backup on first load, warning that upgraded worlds cannot be re-opened in older versions.
• Backup and Deployment Scripts: Any server shell script or backup utility that points directly to root paths (such as world/playerdata or world/DIM-1) will break completely until updated to the dimensions/ and players/ hierarchies.
• Tools and Plugins: External map renderers, automated parser scripts, and NBT modifiers inspecting level.dat for game rules, weather, or difficulty integers will fail to locate those fields.

As seen across the cycle from Minecraft 26.1 snapshot 4 through to the wider changes in Minecraft Java Edition 26.1, hosts should test save migrations on non-production instances first.

Visual Changes Players Will Notice

While backend changes occupy server owners, players will immediately see refreshed visuals across several passive mobs:

• Baby models and textures have been redesigned for the bee, fox, goat, camel, armadillo, polar bear, and llama.
• Baby polar bears no longer pick fights with foxes.
• Baby axolotls now feature an animation for playing dead.
• Fixed baby chicken wings and warm chicken stripe textures.
• Baby camels no longer render saddles, and the camel husk variant no longer displays a baby model.