- Minecraft 26.2 Pre-Release 1 removes peer-to-peer multiplayer support.
- Mojang Studios states that the feature was not ready for release and requires further stability.
- Friends list support will remain, and bug fixes will remain the main focus for the next pre-release.
The Minecraft Chaos Cubed update will still bring the new Sulfur cube mob in a new biome, but an exciting new feature has now been removed days before release. The Minecraft 26.2 Pre-Release 1 snapshot was released today, and it removes the peer-to-peer multiplayer connection feature.
After introducing multiplayer support for Java players in the previous snapshot, Mojang has pulled the plug on this feature.
Minecraft Pulls Peer-to-Peer Multiplayer Feature Ahead of Chaos Cubed Update
Mojang has announced that the peer-to-peer connection feature is not ready for primetime in the upcoming Minecraft Chaos Cubed update. The first pre-release marks the start of the final testing phase before the full update launches, so the removal of the multiplayer feature has disappointed many in the community.
“With this pre-release, we are removing the Peer-to-Peer connection feature introduced in a recent snapshot. Because the experience wasn’t what we wanted it to be for all players, we do not consider the feature ready for release in its current form,” reads the official blog post.
The peer-to-peer connection feature in Minecraft Java Edition has been highly requested for a long time now. The previous snapshot 7 finally gave players hope that they would be able to add friends in Minecraft worlds without needing a LAN connection or purchasing third-party online servers.
Minecraft 26.2 Snapshot 7 introduced a built-in Friends list system that allowed players to add friends using their profile names. Later, you could easily invite them into your active worlds. As of now, the friends list will be present without the multiplayer feature in the game.
Another important thing to note is that Minecraft 26.2 Pre-Release 1 comes with a known issue: the game crashes on PCs that do not have Vulkan support. Mojang suggests editing the option.txt file as a temporary workaround until a fix arrives.
That sums up the latest features in the Minecraft 26.2 Pre-Release 1 update. The removal of the new multiplayer feature is disappointing, but a polished product would be better. The community would have been frustrated with the feature if it shipped with bugs & issues.
That said, ready to find out the Chaos Cubed update release date? Excited to learn the features in the next drop at Minecraft Live May 2026?
