Void

The void is the space external to the area that can be used for building. In vanilla Minecraft, it can be entered by using commands or map editors, in Creative or Spectator mode, using glitches, or by reaching the End. Blocks in the void can't be changed, and any actions and events trying to generate blocks, such as the generation of generated structure and /fill, cannot go beyond this restriction. However, opening a shulker box can make its hitbox expand to the void.

Effects

Above the build limit

The void exists in the place higher than the buildable area, which is higher than 319 in the Overworld, 127‌ or 255‌ in the Nether and 255 in the End.

Usually, entities can't reach the void above Y=127 in the Nether because of the bedrock layer in this dimension.

By continuously placing blocks when jumping, the player will finally reach the void, and then become unable to be at a higher place. Therefore, it is easy to be reached by the player.

In Java Edition, wind charges immediately explode when they are 30 blocks higher than the maximum buildable height.

Below the build limit

The void also exists below the buildable area, which is lower than -64 in the Overworld, 0 in the Nether and the End.

Usually, entities can't reach the void lower than Y=-64(Overworld) or Y=0(Nether) because of the bedrock layers in these dimensions.

When entities fall in the void, they fall for 40 blocks‌ or infinitely‌. Most of them don't have the ability to return to the buildable area, so the game directly removes them or removes them by dealing damage to them.

Java Edition

Falling at least 64 blocks (i.e: under Y=-128 in the Overworld, or Y=-64 in the Nether and End) into the void causes the health of any mob (except the ender dragon) to be depleted by about 4HP every 10 game ticks (0.5 seconds), which is irrespective of any of the mob's protective effects (armor, Protection, Resistance and Invulnerability). Totems of undying can't be triggered when its owner dies from void damage.

This damage kills a player in 2 ¹⁄₂ seconds, and death occurs depending on the player's velocity, usually being around 250 blocks into the void. Even if the player is in Creative mode or Spectator mode, they will still die. Other status effects can alter the death level slightly. A player who falls into the void on a server with anti-flying measures is kicked out regardless of having a flying mod. Riding a vehicle into the void results in the player being stuck in the vehicle until death. The void extends for 2¹⁰²⁴ blocks (1.797×10³⁰⁸) on the Y-axis.

In the Overworld, the void also appears as having daylight if the player views from above sea level (Y=63; feet level Y=61.38). In the Nether, similarly, the void appears as the same color with the biome fog, if the player views above lava sea level (Y=31; feet level Y=29.38).

Other entities may also fall through the void and receive the same damage as the player, with the exception of the wither, which takes 4HP every 1 game tick (0.05 seconds). The ender dragon doesn't take void damage unless /damage is used. Some entities disappear at 64 blocks into the void. ​ Any entity between 64 and 319 blocks into the void appears as black. In the Overworld and the Nether, the layer of bedrock at the bottom of the world prevents the player from accessing the void. In the End, however, the void is easily accessible due to the large gaps between the islands.

The void is black in the Overworld; Its color varies according to the biome in the Nether; It is purple in the End.

Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education

In Bedrock Edition and Minecraft Education, the mob's health is depleted by 4HP every half second at Y=-82 (Overworld) /-18 (the Nether and the End) below, which is irrespective of any of the mob's protective effects (armor, Protection, Resistance and Invulnerability). Totems of undying can't be triggered when its owner dies from void damage.

At Y=-105/-41, there is a void floor made of invisible bedrock, preventing entities from falling further. This barrier can be bypassed by using commands such as /tp, after which the player falls infinitely. In Creative and Spectator mode, the player does not die, who is given free access to flying under the void. However, if the player goes to any coordinates beyond negative or positive X or Z of 8,388,608 blocks, the void floor's effect disappears because the chunks there do no longer contain solid blocks (see Bedrock Edition distance effects for more details). A similar phenomenon can also occur at certain lower coordinates in some instances.^[1]

The elytra also can't be used below Y=-82/-18, unless it has been used for gliding when its owner goes below this altitude. It can be normally used in other areas.

All entities except cameras and ender dragons, are damaged by the void in normal situations. The ender dragon doesn't take void damage unless /damage is used. Withers summoned below Y=-82/-18 immediately die, and they gradually lose health like other mobs if they goes to the area below Y=-82/-18 from other areas.

The void's color is the same as the sky in the Overworld, showing the sun and the moon; It's dark red in the Nether, and black in the End.

History

Void fog

In Beta 1.8, black void fog and the depthsuspend particle effect were introduced. As the player descended below Y=17 in the Overworld, the void fog and particles would start to appear. As the player traveled deeper, the fog at the edge of the render distance would become closer until the player reached bedrock, where visibility was reduced to just a few blocks, beyond which was complete darkness. The gray void particles appeared below Y=17, as well as in the void.

The void fog was removed in snapshot 14w34c, the main reason being to improve performance.^[3] The depthsuspend particle effect was also removed from the void, but stayed in the game until snapshot 17w47a when it was removed as part of The Flattening.

Issues

Issues relating to "Void" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

• Unless summoned directly into the void by commands, shulkers cannot take void damage, because the damaging layer of the void is below the minimum build limit, meaning no blocks can be placed there, and Shulkers instantly teleport to the nearest block when not already connected to any blocks, so any Shulkers summoned in the void immediately teleport out without taking any damage.
• When viewed on a map, the void is seen as the pattern used for an unexplored area in versions 1.10 and below. This is because there are no blocks recorded in the void's area, just the same as if the player has not explored or recorded normal areas. In versions above 1.10, the void is seen as the color ID 11 (Gray, i.e. Stone).
• In Java Edition, when the player is in the void, the second to last line of the debug screen disappears entirely, and is replaced by "Outside of world...".
• Because there is no light in the void, it can produce cave ambience.
• If a player with night vision goes into the void, blocks above render as black.
• Even though the New Nintendo 3DS Edition is based on Pocket Edition Alpha v0.15.4, which had invisible barriers at Y=-41, it was completely absent from this version of the game, meaning that it is possible to fall indefinitely.

Gallery

Screenshots

• 
  Entities are rendered and black below bedrock.
• 
  Looking at an old world from the old bedrock layer in Bedrock Edition.
• 
  The void as it looked in Alpha. Notice the blue color.
• 
  Bottom: Blue void from Alpha version.
• 
  The red Nether void.
• 
  A chunk error in an older Minecraft version revealing the void.
• 
  In 1.2.5, falling under Y=-618 would make a black box like this appear around the player.

References

External links

• Around the Block: The Void – Minecraft.net on April 4, 2024

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