Mojang Studios has announced a major upgrade to Minecraft Realms that promises to significantly reduce lag and improve gameplay experiences worldwide. The update introduces expanded regional server support, smarter data center selection, and new customization options that have already shown impressive performance gains during testing.
Realms Gets a Global Performance Boost
The improved Realms connection system will arrive in the upcoming R21U8 release for Bedrock Edition and is already available for testing in Java Snapshots. According to Mojang, network latency has dropped by over 20% on average during testing, with some players experiencing latency reductions exceeding 50%.
At the heart of this upgrade is a massive expansion of Minecraft's global server infrastructure, which now includes 24 data center regions spanning six continents.
Dynamic Server Selection for Better Connections
Perhaps the most significant improvement is the new dynamic region selection system. Rather than assigning Realms to fixed locations, the system now chooses the optimal data center for each new gameplay session, prioritizing connection quality for whoever starts the session.
Players will also notice a new feature during the Realm loading screen that displays which region is hosting their current session – providing transparency about where their gameplay is being processed.
What Region Options Will Players Have?
When the update fully launches, Realm owners will have access to three hosting options:
- Automatic, first to join (default): Selects the best data center based on whoever starts the session
- Automatic, Realm owner: Prioritizes connection quality for the Realm owner
- Specific Region: Allows manual selection of a preferred data center
Mojang notes these selections are preferences rather than guarantees, as server capacity constraints might require the system to choose an alternative region when necessary.
Global Data Center Expansion
The expanded global server network now includes locations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. This wider distribution means more players will have access to a nearby server, potentially transforming gameplay experiences for those previously connecting to distant regions.
When Will These Improvements Launch?
The enhanced Realms connection system will be fully released in the next Java Edition update and in Bedrock Edition 1.21.80. Java players can already test the improvements in the latest Snapshots.
Mojang is actively seeking player feedback on these changes through their official feedback site and discord server as they prepare for the full rollout.
For Minecraft Realms subscribers, these improvements represent a significant quality-of-life upgrade that should make multiplayer sessions more responsive and enjoyable, especially for international friend groups who previously struggled with connection issues.