The Minecraft Combat Update was one of the most divisive updates ever. Sword blocking was a mechanic in the Java Edition where a player could use a sword in their main hand to block attacks.

While most of a player's protection from enemies comes from regular armor in Minecraft, you can also protect yourself with a shield. A shield can stop arrows from hitting and block melee attacks ...

Learn about all the changes introduced in the latest Minecraft Snapshot 25W04A, including reverting the old bugfixes.