when were shields added to minecraft

Shields were added to Minecraft in the 1.9 “Combat Update” for Java Edition, released in February 2016. Bedrock Edition received shields later with its own 1.10 update.

Key dates

• Java Edition : Shields arrived with the Combat Update (version 1.9) in February 2016, about seven years after Minecraft’s initial 2009 release.

• Bedrock Edition : Shields were introduced with version 1.10, when many Java combat features were gradually brought over to Bedrock.

Extra context

• The Combat Update not only added shields but also lingering potions and elytra, reshaping how combat worked.

• Originally, the shield crafting recipe involved wool, but it was later changed to use wooden planks and a single iron ingot instead.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.