Minecraft combat test removes 'coyote time' and buffs healing

(Image credit: Mojang via Tomlacko)

Mojang has been quietly tweaking Minecraft's combat for a while: unless you're a power user of the game's forums or reddit you probably don't even know they're happening. The latest, version six, is now available to install manually for the Java version (check this thread) and it's mostly a series of compensations for the previous version of the test.

Best of Minecraft

Minecraf 1.18 key art

(Image credit: Mojang)

Minecraft update: What's new?
Minecraft skins: New looks
Minecraft mods:  Beyond vanilla
Minecraft shaders: Spotlight
Minecraft seeds: Fresh new worlds
Minecraft texture packs: Pixelated
Minecraft servers: Online worlds
Minecraft commands: All cheats

For example: six months ago Mojang tested 'coyote time' in combat. This is basically a small auto-aim that was designed to help make combat against smaller enemies, like bats and rabbits, less frustrating. But the implementation proved unpopular— especially for players focused on PvP—so the new version of the test has removed it entirely.

Instead of 'coyote time' smaller creatures will now have "bounding boxes" that are slightly larger than usual, so you're not maniacally swinging for too long to little avail.

There are a number of other changes, mostly stat changes: natural healing is faster by a second, and being attacked will interrupt eating.

Here are the full changes, via reddit: 

Aim assist:

  • Removed "Coyote Time"
  • Entities with bounding boxes that are smaller than 0.9 of a block are inflated (for targeting purposes) to be 0.9 of a block (rabbits, bats, etc)
  • Swords always have sweeping attacks again, axes have it with the Sweeping enchantment
  • Missing now only puts a 4 tick delay until the next attack regardless of weapon.
  • Increased base reach to 3 (was 2.5) and removed bonus reach for delayed attacks

Changes to shields:

  • Shields now only protect up to 5 damage for melee attacks (still 100% against projectiles)
  • Shields recover faster after an attack

Changes to axes:

  • Renamed Chopping to Cleaving
  • Removed other weapon enchantments from the enchanting table. The axes simply had too many possible enchantments. It also feels a little bit fitting with a rare Cleaving enchantment than a common Sharpness enchantment for axes

Changes to bows / projectiles:

  • Player momentum is added to thrown projectiles, but only in the direction you are aiming
  • Bow and arrow accuracy now slowly decreases the longer you pull the bow

Changes to food and hunger:

  • Reverted eating time to 32 ticks
  • Eating is now interrupted if something hits you
  • Natural healing is even faster (2 seconds, was 3 seconds)
  • Natural healing drains food 50% slower
  • By popular request - Reintroduced the rule that sprinting requires more than 6 points of food

Other changes:

  • Removed the attack indicator completely since it is no longer used by any systems
  • Fixed knockback calculation
  • Fixed damage value on items being off-by-one client-side
  • Fixed bug that caused players to be unable to attack/interract after respawning
  • Nerfed Sweeping Edge enchantment to 25/33/37.5 percent (was 50/66/75%)
Shaun Prescott
Australian Editor

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.

Read more
New shaders in Minecraft following Minecraft Live 2025
In the year of our lord 2025, Mojang is finally adding shaders to Minecraft, making reflective lighting and water effects more accessible for all
A dried ghast, a ghastling, and a friendly ghast all smiling
The latest Minecraft Live uncovered the tragic truth of the Nether's most bothersome mob, which has unlocked new levels of guilt
Three mobs in their regional forms in Minecraft Spring to Life update
Minecraft Spring to Life update: everything you need to know about the newest drop
Monster Hunter Wilds palico
The next Monster Hunter Wilds update is set to launch on March 10 and will ensure that when you chop off monster parts, the right monster parts get chopped off
New warm and cold pigs
After 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list
Hyper Light Breaker characters standing on glowing platform looking toward camera
Hyper Light Breaker gets a community-driven update that makes 'some pretty big changes' to the game's enemies and medkit system, following its debut to mixed reviews on Steam
Latest in Survival & Crafting
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
An April Fool's Day Palworld game concept about dating Pals
From Palworld movies to Palworld TV shows: 'Everyone under the sun pitched us every idea you can imagine,' says Pocketpair's communications director
Pacific Drive Endless Expeditions spring 2025 update trailer still - a sexy, tricked-out 1980s station wagon being blasted with magic healing electricity
Pacific Drive developers change their mind: A year after refusing to give it mid-run saves, it's getting mid-run saves
minecraft diamond level sword
Minecraft's never going free-to-play because as it stands it's 'the best deal in the world'
New shaders in Minecraft following Minecraft Live 2025
In the year of our lord 2025, Mojang is finally adding shaders to Minecraft, making reflective lighting and water effects more accessible for all
A dried ghast, a ghastling, and a friendly ghast all smiling
The latest Minecraft Live uncovered the tragic truth of the Nether's most bothersome mob, which has unlocked new levels of guilt
Latest in News
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened