Overworld

The Overworld is the dimension in which all players begin their Minecraft world. Most players spend their time in this dimension.

Creation[]

The Overworld is the only dimension created when the player creates a new world. The other dimensions (The Nether and The End) aren't created until a player enters the corresponding dimension for the first time.

Seeds[]

A new world in Minecraft is generated through the use of a randomly generated seed, which is an integer used as a starting point for the world generation formula. The player can specify a seed or allow the game to generate one randomly. If given a non-integer input (such as the word "Glacier"), the game converts it into a corresponding integer (such as 1772835215).

A given seed generates almost exactly the same world every time, provided the same edition, game version, and world type are used. Although the exact spawn point varies, the coordinates of all terrain features are the same. All seeds within the 32-bit integer limit in Java and Bedrock editions may also generate worlds with the same terrain shape and biome map, but the placement of terrain features, structures, and carver caves may differ.

Environment[]

The Overworld is an incredibly complex environment with a wide variety of features.

Biomes[]

The Overworld is divided into biomes of various types. A biome's type determines the basic characteristics of the terrain within it, such as the blocks composing the surface or the plants that thrive in it. The biome type also determines which mobs can spawn within it and affects how environmental behaviors such as weather are expressed within it.

Natural structures[]

The Overworld is composed of a large number of terrain patterns, called generated structures, whose arrangement varies widely from one seed to another. The exact structures are unique to each world, while the types of structures that can be generated at a given place are determined by the biome type. Structures are meant to represent real-world equivalents such as mountains, caves, and lakes. "Impossible" (in the real world) formations, such as floating islands, can also be found throughout the Overworld.

Along with terrain features, natural structures include naturally-generated buildings, such as villages, dungeons, mineshafts, and ruined portals.

Daylight cycle[]

The Overworld is the only dimension with a daylight cycle and the only one where the environment reflects the passage of time. In contrast to time zones in the real world, Overworld time is universal; it is always the same time for every player in the dimension regardless of how far apart they might be, even in an "infinite" world.

During the daytime, the sun acts as a powerful light source, with a light level of 15, the maximum. Sunlight is strong enough to grow plants and affect the way mobs spawn, among other interesting effects. During the nighttime, the moon is the only natural light source. However, moonlight is comparatively dim; the light level falls to a minimum of 4, allowing hostile mobs to spawn. Other than during thunderstorms, nighttime is the only time players may sleep in a bed.

The daylight cycle can effectively be measured using a clock, which allows players to determine the approximate Minecraft time anywhere in the Overworld. Time can also be changed or stopped with the use of the /time command.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, just as it does in the real world. Observing its motion is a simple method of telling direction without a compass.

Mobs[]

The Overworld is home to a wide variety of mobs. Mobs vary greatly in behavior and the level of danger they present to the player. Different mobs spawn at different times and places depending on the light level and the biome, among other factors. On occasion, a mob can move between the Overworld and another dimension, such as The Nether, by using a portal, but this is uncommon. Boss mobs like the ender dragon and the wither cannot enter portals.

Animals[]

Monsters[]

Other[]

• Allay
• Iron Golem
• Snow Golem
• Villager
• Wandering Trader

Generation[]

As with all other dimensions in the game, the Overworld can generate infinitely. However, there are some limitations, as detailed below. Like the other dimensions, it is divided into 16×384×16 block sections called chunks.

The Overworld encompasses a three-dimensional volume that extends vertically from the Void up to the build limit (y=-64 to 320), and horizontally for a virtually infinite distance in each direction. This volume is filled (virtually speaking) with air, terrain, and structures. Technically, the terrain is formed by generating multiple noise maps to produce differing elevations, general land shapes, and complex mountain and cave systems.

Limitations[]

While the world is virtually infinite, the number of blocks a player may physically reach is limited with where the limits are depending on the edition of the game and the world type being played.

In Java Edition, the map contains a world border located by default at X/Z coordinates ±29,999,984. The world border is an animated wall of blue stripes. Standing near the border results in a red vignette appearing around the screen. Most entities are unable to pass the border, except by teleporting. Players who breach the border receive constant damage unless they are in creative or spectator mode. The player can teleport past the world border and continue as far as X/Z ±29,999,999, where there is an invisible wall. However, the player can travel a few chunks further by riding horses, pigs, and minecarts through it.^[verify]

In Bedrock Edition, Infinite-type worlds have no fixed horizontal limits, but either generation stops or normal game behavior begins to break down at extreme distances; the exact details depend on the platform. However, experiments suggest that players can generally reach at least X/Z ±30,000,000 before such problems occur.

Terrain features[]

The Overworld contains numerous terrain features, at a wide variety of scales.

Blocks[]

Naturally generated[]

"Naturally generated" includes blocks that are created through the world seed.

Naturally created[]

Naturally created means a combination of events that cause a new block to be placed by natural causes, not the player. Some of these blocks may also be created as part of world generation.

Structures[]

Same as naturally generated, but these blocks are created only with the "Generate Structures" option enabled.

Technical information[]

ID[]

Folder[]

In Java Edition, information on the Overworld is stored in the region folder of the .minecraft/saves/worldname directory, with "worldname" being the name of your world.

Deleting the region folder resets the Overworld so that all player-made changes and buildings in that dimension are undone.

Achievements[]

Some achievements and advancements are obtained only in the Overworld, as their conditions cannot be replicated in the Nether or the End at all.

Advancements[]

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Parent	Actual requirements (if different)	Resource location
	Eye Spy	Follow an Eye of Ender	We Need to Go Deeper	Enter a stronghold.	story/follow_ender_eye
	Subspace Bubble	Use the Nether to travel 7 km in the Overworld	Nether	Use the Nether to travel between 2 points in the Overworld with a minimum horizontal euclidean distance of 7000 blocks between each other, which is 875 blocks in the Nether.	nether/fast_travel
	Uneasy Alliance	Rescue a Ghast from the Nether, bring it safely home to the Overworld... and then kill it	Return to Sender	Kill a ghast while the player is in the Overworld.	nether/uneasy_alliance
	Feels Like Home	Take a Strider for a loooong ride on a lava lake in the Overworld	This Boat Has Legs	While riding a strider, travel 50 blocks on lava in the Overworld. Only horizontal displacement is counted. Traveling in a circle for more than 50 blocks doesn't count.	nether/ride_strider_in_overworld_lava
	Surge Protector	Protect a Villager from an undesired shock without starting a fire	Adventure	Be within 30 blocks of a lightning strike that doesn't set any blocks on fire, while an unharmed villager is within or up to six blocks above a 30×30×30 volume centered on the lightning strike.	adventure/lightning_rod_with_villager_no_fire
	Caves & Cliffs	Free fall from the top of the world (build limit) to the bottom of the world and survive	Adventure	Fall from at least y=319 to at most y=-59 with a vertical distance of greater than 379 blocks.	adventure/fall_from_world_height
	Sweet Dreams	Sleep in a Bed to change your respawn point	Adventure	Lie down in a bed. The advancement is granted as soon as the player is in the bed, even if the player does not successfully sleep.	adventure/sleep_in_bed
	Star Trader	Trade with a Villager at the build height limit	What a Deal!	Stand on any block that is higher than 318 and trade with a villager or wandering trader.	adventure/trade_at_world_height
	Adventuring Time	Discover every biome	Sweet Dreams	Visit all of these 53 biomes: Badlands Bamboo Jungle Beach Birch Forest Cherry Grove Cold Ocean Dark Forest Deep Cold Ocean Deep Dark Deep Frozen Ocean Deep Lukewarm Ocean Deep Ocean Desert Dripstone Caves Eroded Badlands Flower Forest Forest Frozen Ocean Frozen Peaks Frozen River Grove Ice Spikes Jagged Peaks Jungle Lukewarm Ocean Lush Caves Mangrove Swamp Meadow Mushroom Fields Ocean Old Growth Birch Forest Old Growth Pine Taiga Old Growth Spruce Taiga Plains River Savanna Savanna Plateau Snowy Beach Snowy Plains Snowy Slopes Snowy Taiga Sparse Jungle Stony Peaks Stony Shore Sunflower Plains Swamp Taiga Warm Ocean Windswept Forest Windswept Gravelly Hills Windswept Hills Windswept Savanna Wooded Badlands The advancement is only for Overworld biomes. Other biomes may also be visited, but are ignored for this advancement.	adventure/adventuring_time
	Sound of Music	Make the Meadows come alive with the sound of music from a Jukebox	Sweet Dreams	While in a meadow biome, place down a jukebox and use a music disc on it.	adventure/play_jukebox_in_meadows
	Very Very Frightening	Strike a Villager with lightning	A Throwaway Joke	Hit a villager with lightning created by a trident with the Channeling enchantment.	adventure/very_very_frightening

History[]

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Overworld" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Gallery[]

• 

  The classic finite generator used in late 2009.

• 

  The version of the terrain generator used prior to Alpha v1.2.0.

• 

  The world generator used from Alpha v1.2.0 to Beta 1.7.3.

• 

  The world generator used from Java Edition Beta 1.8 to 1.6.4.

• 

  The world generator used from release 1.7 to 1.17.1.

• 

  The world generator used from Java Edition 1.18.

• 

  Official T-shirt "Line Time" depicting the overworld made by JINX.

• 

  Another view of post-1.18 world generation.]]

• 

  The Overworld as it appears in Around the Minecraft World in 80 Biomes.^[2]

Trivia[]

• The maximum number of blocks that can be generated in the Overworld is approximately 921.6 quadrillion (9.216×10¹⁷) blocks, assuming a distance of 30,000,000 blocks in either direction.
  • The total area is about 8 times the surface of the Earth.
  • This means that storing a filled world, with no entities or block entities, would require 3.6864 quintillion (3.6864×10¹⁸) bits (409 petabytes) for the block data alone, based on the fact that each standard block is assigned 4 bits of information.
  • By manually modifying the game, it is possible to generate the world up to 2,147,483,647 blocks (the 32-bit integer limit) in either direction.
• A 1:1 (1 block = 1 meter) scale map of the Earth, built-in Minecraft, would be 510.9 trillion (5.109×10¹⁴) blocks in size.
  • Assuming the map is one block deep and uses 1 byte per block, its size would be approximately 475,800 GB (464.7 TB).
  • A Moon-sized map would be made of 37.95 trillion (3.795×10¹³) blocks. Its data size would be 35,340 GB (34.52 TB).

See also[]

• Tutorials/Navigation – Tips for navigating at the Overworld
• Survival
• The Nether
• The End

References[]