Minecraft Mob Vote History (All Winners and Losers 2017-2024)

Short answer: the Minecraft Mob Vote is an annual community vote where players choose the next mob to be added to the game. It was first held in 2017 as part of Minecon Earth, and has run almost every year since. Mojang presents 2-3 candidate mobs, the community votes, and the winner gets implemented in a future update — while the losers are typically never added (with some exceptions, like the Copper Golem which lost in 2021 but won in 2024). This guide covers every Mob Vote from 2017 to 2024, the winners, the losers, and which losing mobs eventually made it into the game anyway.

Quick Answer Table

Year	Winner	Losers
2017	Phantom	Wildfire, Hovering Inferno, Great Hunger, Monster of the Ocean Depths
2018	Fox	Meerkat, Biome update vote (Taiga won)
2019	Mountains biome update	Swamps, Badlands
2020	Glow Squid	Iceologer (now Chillager), Moobloom
2021	Allay	Copper Golem, Glare
2022	Sniffer	Tuff Golem, Rascal
2023	Armadillo	Crab, Penguin
2024	Copper Golem (returning loser!)	Crab (again), Penguin

2017 — The First Mob Vote

The first-ever Minecraft Mob Vote took place at Minecon Earth in November 2017. Mojang showed off 4 candidate mobs:

Phantom — flying nighttime mob that attacks players who don't sleep
Wildfire — a Nether boss-like mob with multiple shield parts
Great Hunger — a chest-eating creature that steals item enchantments
Hovering Inferno — a Nether mob throwing flaming blocks
Monster of the Ocean Depths — a deep-sea horror

Winner: Phantom. Added in update 1.13 (Aquatic Update, May 2018) as the now-iconic punishment mob for staying awake too long. Players still curse it for circling them after 3 in-game days without sleep.

The other 4 mobs were never added, though they live on in fan-made mods and community lore.

2018 — Biome / Mob Hybrid

2018 had a different format. Mojang held two separate "votes":

A biome update vote — winner: Taiga overhaul
A mob vote within the Taiga biome — winner: Fox, beating the Meerkat

The Fox was added in update 1.14 (Village & Pillage, April 2019). See our fox feeding guide for everything about this fan-favorite mob.

2019 — Biome Vote

2019 was a biome-only vote (no mobs):

Mountains (winner)
Swamps
Badlands

The Mountains overhaul shipped in 1.18 (Caves & Cliffs Part II, November 2021). It also brought the Snowy Slopes, Frozen Peaks, Jagged Peaks, and Stony Peaks variants — plus the Goat mob.

2020 — Glow Squid Controversy

2020's vote had three candidates:

Glow Squid (winner)
Iceologer — illager that summons ice blocks (later added to Minecraft Dungeons as "Chillager")
Moobloom — flower-spawning cow variant

Glow Squid won and was added in 1.17 (Caves & Cliffs Part I, June 2021). The Glow Ink Sac it drops is used for glowing item frames and glowing signs — though many players were disappointed the Glow Squid itself didn't do much beyond float around.

This was the first vote where the community publicly complained that the wrong mob "won" — many wanted the Iceologer for combat variety.

2021 — Allay vs Copper Golem

The most famous Mob Vote, partly because of the Copper Golem controversy:

Allay (winner) — small blue fairy-like mob that collects items
Copper Golem — small redstone-interacting golem (lost!)
Glare — angry shrub that points at dark areas

The Allay won and was added in 1.19 (Wild Update, June 2022). It became one of the most useful mobs for item sorting and farming.

The Copper Golem fanbase was vocal in protest, claiming it was the most useful proposed mob and that the community had voted poorly. Mojang took notice — and in 2024, brought the Copper Golem back to win. See our Copper Golem guide for the full story of its comeback.

2022 — Sniffer Wins (Ancient Plant Lover)

2022's vote candidates:

Sniffer (winner) — ancient mob that digs up rare seeds
Tuff Golem — decorative golem that holds items
Rascal — tiny mob you find in caves; gives gifts when found 3 times

The Sniffer was added in 1.20 (Trails & Tales, June 2023). See our sniffer feeding guide for details on torchflower seeds, archaeology, and breeding.

The Tuff Golem was a popular runner-up — many builders still want a decorative item-holding statue.

2023 — Armadillo Beats Crab and Penguin

2023's vote candidates:

Armadillo (winner) — passive mob that drops scutes for Wolf Armor
Crab — sideways-walking mob with a giant claw
Penguin — flightless seabird

The Armadillo was added in 1.20.5 (Armored Paws, April 2024) along with Wolf Armor. See our armadillo feeding guide for the complete spider-eye-only feeding workflow.

2024 — Copper Golem's Comeback

The most dramatic Mob Vote yet. Mojang brought back the Copper Golem (which lost in 2021) and pitted it against last year's losers:

Copper Golem (winner — at last!)
Crab (lost again)
Penguin (lost again)

The Copper Golem fanbase mobilized en masse, ensuring it won this time. It was added in 1.21.x (date confirmed by Mojang) and now serves redstone automation needs across Minecraft.

This established an important precedent: losing the Mob Vote doesn't necessarily mean "never added". Mojang may revisit popular losers in future votes.

Losing Mobs That Got Added Anyway

Several Mob Vote losers have found their way into Minecraft via different routes:

Iceologer (2020 loser) — added to Minecraft Dungeons as the "Chillager"
Copper Golem (2021 loser) — won 2024 vote, added to main game
Moobloom (2020 loser) — appeared in Minecraft Earth (the discontinued AR game)

Crab, Penguin, Glare, Tuff Golem, and Rascal remain in the "rejected by community" pile — though Mojang has occasionally hinted they might revisit some of them.

How to Vote in the Mob Vote

Annually (usually October), Mojang announces the candidates via Minecraft Live (a live-streamed event). To vote:

Open Minecraft Bedrock OR Java (in recent years)
Look for the in-game voting screen or vote at minecraft.net during the voting window
Each Mojang account can cast one vote
Vote closes after the live event; results announced live

The Mob Vote has expanded over the years — early ones were Minecon-only, but recent ones offer mobile, console, and web voting.

Common Questions

Are there any Mob Vote "losers" that ever got added later?

Yes — the Copper Golem (lost 2021, won 2024) and the Iceologer (added to Minecraft Dungeons). Most losers don't get a second chance, but it's not impossible.

Is the Mob Vote democratic?

Yes — each Mojang account gets one vote, and Mojang publishes results transparently. There's no algorithm weighting; whichever mob gets the most votes wins.

Why has Mojang reduced Mob Vote candidates from 4-5 to 3 in recent years?

Smaller candidate pools mean less vote-splitting and more decisive winners. The 2017 vote had 5 candidates, with the Phantom winning around 30% of the vote. Recent 3-candidate votes have winners with 40-50%+.

Are Mob Vote losers ever scrapped completely?

Officially "not implemented" — but they live on in fan art, mods, and sometimes spin-off games (Minecraft Earth, Minecraft Dungeons). Mojang has occasionally referenced losing mobs in Minecraft Movie cameos and merchandise.

Did the Phantom really need to be added in 2017?

The Phantom is famously one of the most divisive mobs — many players turn off Phantom spawns in their worlds because they're annoying. Looking back, many argue the Wildfire or Great Hunger would have been better picks.

Will there be a 2025 Mob Vote?

Mojang has said they're considering changing the format for 2025 — possibly skipping a year, or changing the structure to community-suggested mobs. As of this writing, no 2025 mob vote has been confirmed.

Putting It All Together

The Minecraft Mob Vote is one of the most uniquely democratic features in any major video game. It's directly shaped what Minecraft is today:

Phantoms — the annoying flying nighttime menace
Foxes — the loyal-only-when-bred companion
Glow Squid — sources of glow ink
Allay — item-sorting automation
Sniffer — ancient seed digger
Armadillo — Wolf Armor source
Copper Golem — finally added in 2024!

If you missed a vote, you missed a chance to shape Minecraft's future. The lesson: vote when you can, because if your favorite loses, it might take years (or never) to come back.

For more Minecraft mob guides, see our companion posts: Copper Golem Guide, What Do Foxes Eat, What Do Sniffers Eat, What Do Armadillos Eat, What Do Axolotls Eat, and What Do Parrots Eat.

If you're building a circular tribute monument to your favorite Mob Vote winner, our Minecraft circle generator blueprints the perfect monument circle. And if you want to share your Mob Vote opinions with friends on a 24/7 server, see our best Minecraft server hosting comparison.

That's the complete history of the Minecraft Mob Vote. Phantoms, Foxes, Glow Squids, Allays, Sniffers, Armadillos, and finally the Copper Golem. Vote wisely — your mob's life depends on it.