Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a Server Jar Download

Also known as snapshot, pre-release, release candidate.

Experimental — snapshot Official source

Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a is a weekly development snapshot of Minecraft: Java Edition leading up to 1.18, published by Mojang on 3 Nov 2021. Its dedicated server jar is 44.1 MB and requires Java 16 or newer. The final Minecraft 1.18 was released on 30 Nov 2021.

Download

Download server.jar44.1 MB

Downloads from piston-data.mojang.com — Official — Mojang.

SHA-1 · published by Mojang
ae583fd57a8c07f2d6fbadce1ce1e1379bf4b32d

How to verify this file on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Source: Official — Mojang SHA-1 shown below Last checked: Report a problem

Version facts

Published by Mojang
ChannelPreview (weekly)
Required JavaJava 16 or newer · Temurin 16
File size44.1 MB
Licence / termsMinecraft EULA
Upstream projectwww.minecraft.net

What changed

Newest upstream commits:

  • #1 · 3 Nov 2021 New world generation is now inserted under existing chunks when upgrading a world to the new world height
  • Added an Online options screen where you can now find the Realms Notifications option and Difficulty when on a server
  • Added an "Allow Server Listings" option to opt-out of having your name displayed in server listings
  • Sleeping now only resets the weather cycle if it was raining
  • Blocks and fluids are now also affected by simulation distance. It might be a good idea to test that the behavior of your Redstone contraptions remained the same
Full changelog for Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a (Minecraft Wiki)

Compatibility

No plugins or mods — the unmodified game exactly as Mojang ships it (data packs still work).

Players need a Minecraft: Java Edition Snapshot 21w44a client on the same version.

Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a in other server software

Known issues & safety notes

  • Preview builds are experimental: they can corrupt or irreversibly upgrade worlds, and most plugins and mods do not support them yet. Test on a copy of your world.

How to set up Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a

  1. Install Java 16 or newer (e.g. Eclipse Temurin) and check it with java -version.
  2. Download server.jar from Mojang (button above) into an empty folder.
  3. Start it once with the script below; it creates eula.txt and stops.
  4. Set eula=true in eula.txt to accept the Minecraft EULA, then start again. Players join on port 25565.

Linux / macOS — start.sh

#!/bin/sh
# start.sh — Minecraft 21w44a
cd "$(dirname "$0")"
JAVA_MAJOR=$(java -version 2>&1 | awk -F'"' '/version/ {split($2, v, "."); print (v[1] == "1") ? v[2] : v[1]}')
if [ "$JAVA_MAJOR" -lt 16 ] 2>/dev/null; then
  echo "Java 16 or newer is required (found Java $JAVA_MAJOR)."
  exit 1
fi
java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui

Windows — start.bat

@echo off
REM start.bat — Minecraft 21w44a
REM Needs Java 16 or newer: run "java -version" to check.
java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui
pause

Rule of thumb: 2–4 GB for a few friends, 6–10 GB for a public server with plugins. Set -Xms equal to -Xmx and leave 1–1.5 GB for the operating system. How much RAM?

Docker

docker run -d -p 25565:25565 -e EULA=TRUE -e TYPE=VANILLA -e VERSION=21w44a --name mc itzg/minecraft-server

Uses the community itzg/minecraft-server image, which downloads the file itself.

Upgrading

FAQ

What Java version does Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a need?

Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a needs Java 16 or newer. Running it on an older Java fails with an UnsupportedClassVersionError mentioning class file version 60.0.

Is Minecraft Snapshot 21w44a safe for my survival world?

Only on a copy. Preview versions are experimental and upgrade worlds irreversibly; keep a backup and don't switch a live world to a snapshot, pre-release or release candidate.

Is this the Minecraft game or an APK?

No. This is the Java Edition dedicated server — software for hosting a world. It is not the game client and there is no Android APK. Phone and console players use Bedrock Edition.