A new Minecraft snapshot is out this week, the second consecutive preview of Minecraft Update 1.9 to go live on a Thursday, and it looks like we really are getting close to the point when Mojang will feel confident releasing Minecraft Update 1.9 to the general public.

If the patch notes for Minecraft snapshot 15w46a are any indication, and we're not sure how they couldn't be, the next big update for Minecraft is likely just around the corner. After devoting the bulk of last week's Minecraft Update 1.9 development to stamping out bugs, discovered during the snapshot process, Mojang have returned with another weekly Minecraft snapshot focused (primarily) on the various bugs still being encountered by the community.

That's not to say there aren't any other changes in Minecraft snapshot 15w46a. For starters, the latest Minecraft developmental preview introduces fallen trees. But the reason we're so honed in on the bug fixes from this week's Minecraft snapshot is because, typically, when the folks at Mojang puts on their exterminator caps, it signals the final countdown to a major update for the smash-hit sandbox game.

Sadly, we still don't have a timeline for the debut of Minecraft Update 1.9. But that shouldn't exactly come as a shock, either. As many Minecraft players have undoubtedly learned, Mojang isn't a studio that likes to put itself on a deadline. Rather than promising content on a certain date, regardless of its current condition, Mojang seems to prefer waiting until it's absolutely confident it can deliver new Minecraft builds before making public plans to release them. So we probably won't get more than a week or two's notice, as we have with the last several Minecraft updates.

Here are the complete patch notes for Minecraft snapshot 15w46a, via Jens Bergensten:

  • Fallen trees
  • Changed the redstone dust hitbox
  • Sprinting no longer stops after a while
  • Mobs no longer spawn on rails
  • MCPE rabbits
    • Loot changes
  • Fixed some bugs
    • Fixed 3rd person view reverting to 1st person view when your head goes inside a block
    • Fixed leaves replacing transparent blocks (bonus chest)
    • Fixed flying through a portal in Creative turning off “fly mode” on the other side
    • Fixed breaking doors moving the other part of the door sometimes
    • Fixed redstone wire using different criteria for connecting visually and logically
    • Fixed detector rails not powering adjacent powered rails upward on slope
    • Fixed end portal frames acting like solid blocks
    • Fixed IPv6 not working
    • Fixed sprinting stopping after a certain distance/time
    • Fixed comparator side inputs not recognizing all types of redstone power sources – redstone blocks are now accepted
    • Fixed clearing the Nausea effect showing the nether portal tint
    • Fixed the redstone hitbox not allowing blocks below to be hit
    • Fixed large amounts of experience orbs triggering epilepsy – Video
    • Fixed the TNT mesh being rotated wrongly regarding placed vs primed TNT
    • Fixed being unable to see Horse Health in Creative
    • Fixed glass panes not joining up correctly with ice blocks
    • Fixed blocks dropping XP with doTileDrops set to false
    • Fixed boats appearing to be sunken in water
    • Fixed snowmen leaving snow regardless of mobGriefing
    • Fixed the default wolf collar color from orange to red
    • Fixed the wither attacking while still invincible
    • Fixed endermen losing the ability to dodge melee attacks after being hit
    • Fixed Untamed horses continue consuming food after reaching 100% tameability (0 temper) :: Tamed horses continue consuming golden food after already in love mode
    • Fixed an iron bars model issues
    • Fixed some changes to the mob spawning algorithm
    • Fixed guardians spawning in random places
    • Fixed the banner pole texture being mis-aligned
    • Fixed stopping a server after save-off causing unexpected data loss
    • Fixed default NBT data for SmallFireballs being incomplete
    • Fixed uv mapping being upside down on stairs
    • Fixed a crash: java.lang.ClassCastException: ahw cannot be cast to ahn
    • Fixed there being a “Realms Notifications” option in options menu
    • Fixed a typo in a soundevent name: “enttiy.zombie.infect”
    • Fixed a first-person perspective parallax problem: The first person camera was positioned behind the player's eyes
    • Fixed doors having no placement sound
    • Fixed mobs inside mob spawners stuttering if no player is in spawn range or spawner is outside worldborder
    • Fixed daylight sensor outputting signal when encased
    • Fixed the breath icon being moved with the armor bar when under the effect of absorption
    • Fixed being unable to place banners or signs on snow layer level 1
    • Fixed the glowing aura not working if team color is set to reset

Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for more Minecraft coverage throughout the rest of 2015 and for as long as Mojang supports Minecraft in the years to come.

Minecraft Update 1.9: Snapshot 15w46a Continues Mojang's Parade Of Bug Fixes