Minecraft adds new sitting feature after 17 years

Minecraft players have spent 17 years finding workarounds, boats, minecarts, and saddled animals just to make their character sit down. Mojang's newest update finally ends the workaround era with a simple item: the cushion.

The cushion is crafted from three wool slabs and comes in 16 colours, and it can be placed on almost any flat surface for players to interact with and sit on.

Developers said in the update's reveal video that they expect players to find uses for cushions "that likely stretch beyond their own imagination", a nod to the game's long history of roleplay-driven builds.

Along with this feature, the patch brings straw beds, which are disposable beds made out of three hay bales, that allow players to sleep without resetting the spawn point while using the bed.

Moreover, Mojang announced a preview of a new biome along with other blocks and items, all within the context of a larger seasonal update package. The full update will be available for everyone in autumn; however, those who have the preview version of the game can test out the sitting feature now.

It is certainly a bigger deal than what it looks like on paper. "Sitting down without mods feels MASSIVE," one gamer commented on the YouTube video announcing the change, while another gamer made fun of the fan reaction, saying it reminded him of the reaction after reaching some milestone in the game.

After years of building cities and civilisations in the game without being able to properly relax in them, a cushion finally fills in one of the biggest voids in the game.

The recent reorganisation of Xbox by Microsoft has placed Mojang under the direct management of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who has reportedly said that the franchise was “massively underinvested” compared to others like Roblox.