Minecraft Distant Horizons mod: Update status for version 1.21.6
Mojang recently rolled out the Minecraft 1.21.6 update, titled "Chase the Skies," adding exciting content like happy ghasts, music discs, dried ghast blocks, craftable saddles, and vibrant visuals for Bedrock Edition. As always, the modding community kicked into gear to make their mods compatible with the latest version.
One of the most awaited updates is for the Distant Horizons mod, a popular visual mod, that allows players to render distant chunks well beyond Minecraft’s default 32-chunk limit. With Distant Horizons, players can see up to 200 chunks, making the game world look massive and more immersive.
At the time of writing, the Distant Horizons mod is not yet available for Minecraft 1.21.6. However, the developer, James Seibel, recently posted an update in the mod’s official Discord server. He confirmed that a beta version is already running on 1.21.6, though it’s still not ready for public use.
The Chase the Skies drop is here! To celebrate, we are giving away 10 travel-themed prize packs so you can adventure in style this summer. Relax in a custom Minecraft hammock, curl up with an exclusive Chase the Skies blanket, or get away from it all with a deluxe weekender bag… pic.twitter.com/2XOvgyLrll
— Minecraft (@Minecraft) June 18, 2025
He explained that while the core part of the mod is functioning, many smaller features still need to be polished before a stable release can happen. This is expected, as Distant Horizons is a heavy mod with lots of rendering and performance systems.
Looking at previous release timelines, Distant Horizons took about a week to support Minecraft 1.21.5. However, support for 1.21.4 took nearly four months, showing how update speed can vary depending on internal goals.
The development team seems to be focusing not just on keeping up with game updates, but also on improving the overall performance and quality of the mod. Since the mod is still in beta, they appear to prioritise making things better rather than rushing compatibility.
Based on recent development updates shared on Discord, there is a strong chance that a 1.21.6 compatible version may be released by late June or sometime in July 2025.
What should players do?Anything for THE shot 📸
— Minecraft (@Minecraft) June 18, 2025
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Until the stable version is released, players will need to stay on Minecraft 1.21.5 or earlier if they want to keep using the mod. It’s best to keep an eye on the mod’s official Discord or CurseForge page for the latest updates.
For now, while Minecraft 1.21.6 brings plenty of new features, fans awaiting the Distant Horizons update will need to wait just a bit longer for the full visual experience to return.