Minecraft Update Adds a Game-Changing Item

Minecraft’s latest Snapshot contains an item which, without hyperbole, likely will change how people play the game in a number of ways. The item in question is the “Recovery Compass,” and it’s a totally new item being tested as part of other features coming the new Deep Dark biome that’s on the way. Recovery Compasses will allow players to quickly locate the last place that they died, but for the time being, this tool is only available in the Java version of Minecraft via the 22W14A Snapshot.

If it wasn’t already apparent by that item’s usage, being able to find out where you died last is a huge boon for Minecraft players since it also means you’ll be able to recover your lost loot before it disappears. Currently, players have to use landmarks and retrace their steps to figure out where they died last which can be particularly troublesome whenever you’re exploring underground areas.

This feature should allow players to feel more comfortable taking risks both initially and when they have to go recover their items since they’ll have a better idea of where the gear is at. For those who play with others, you’ll know all too well how a death and lost items can damper a play session and make someone consider quitting for the night. With a Recovery Compass waiting back at the base when you respawn, however, there’s the potential to reclaim gear and keep the momentum going.

Patch notes provided for this Snapshot showed exactly what the Recovery Compass does and how it can be crafted. Note that this isn’t something you’ll want to carry around with you all the time since it won’t do you much good if you drop it when you die, but it’s a good item to keep back at home in case of emergencies.

Recovery Compass

• Unlike a normal Compass, the Recovery Compass will point to the last place you died
• If you are not in the dimension you last died, or you haven’t died yet in your world, it will randomly spin
• It can be crafted with 1 Compass surrounded by 8 Echo Shards, which can be found in Ancient Cities

The Recovery Compass is currently only available in the latest Java Snapshot, but Minecraft players can expect the live version of it to come to the PC and other platforms once the testing phase has concluded and the update containing it is released.