Released 2024-08-08
Minecraft 1.21.1 needs Java 21
1.21.1 is the settled release of the 1.21 line and what most current modded packs aim for. It runs on Java 21, takes NeoForge or Fabric for mods, and Paper or Purpur for plugins.
Java version required
21or newer
An older Java will not start it. A much newer Java normally does, but that is up to the server software rather than Minecraft.
Availability
Paper is available for 1.21.1
It accepts Bukkit / Spigot / Paper plugins.
Will the file I downloaded work?
Mods and plugins are two different things that both come as a .jar. Use the wrong kind and there is usually no error: the server boots and the content is simply missing.
running on Paper
No. Forge is a mod platform and Paper runs plugins — two separate systems that just share a file extension. Nothing loads, and you get no warning.
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Things to know about this version
Forge does still release for 1.21, but on this line mod authors have essentially finished moving to NeoForge — a search for a Forge build of a 1.21 mod will often come back empty, and that reflects the ecosystem, not a flaw in how you searched.
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This version on the Java timeline
- Java 81.7 through 1.16.5
- Java 161.17 and 1.17.1
- Java 171.18 through 1.20.4
- Java 211.20.5 and everything after