Supported versions
Essential currently supports the following Minecraft versions:| Minecraft Version | Forge | Fabric | NeoForge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8.9 | ✓ | - | - |
| 1.12.2 | ✓ | - | - |
| 1.16.2 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.17.1 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.18.1 | - | ✓ | - |
| 1.18.2 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.19 | - | ✓ | - |
| 1.19.2 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.19.3 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.19.4 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.20 | - | ✓ | - |
| 1.20.1 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.20.2 | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 1.20.4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1.20.6 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1.21.1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1.21.3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1.21.4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1.21.5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1.21.6 | - | ✓ | - |
| 1.21.7 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1.21.9 | - | ✓ | - |
| 1.21.11 | - | ✓ | - |
NeoForge support begins with Minecraft 1.20.4, when NeoForge was first released as a Forge fork.
Version aliases
Some Minecraft versions share the same Essential build due to compatibility. These versions use “aliases” that point to a different version’s build:| Requested Version | Actual Build Used |
|---|---|
| 1.16.5-forge | 1.16.2-forge |
| 1.16.5-fabric | 1.16.2-fabric |
| 1.18-fabric | 1.18.1-fabric |
| 1.19.1-fabric | 1.19.2-fabric |
| 1.21-fabric | 1.21.1-fabric |
| 1.21.2-fabric | 1.21.3-fabric |
| 1.21.8-fabric | 1.21.7-fabric |
| 1.21.8-forge | 1.21.7-forge |
| 1.21.8-neoforge | 1.21.7-neoforge |
| 1.21.10-fabric | 1.21.9-fabric |
Version aliases allow Essential to support more Minecraft versions without building separate binaries for each minor update.
Legacy versions
Essential’s primary development focuses on Minecraft 1.12.2, with builds for all other versions derived from this base.Minecraft 1.8.9 and 1.12.2
These are the legacy Forge versions that use LaunchWrapper:- Popular for PvP and older servers
- Most mature Essential codebase
- Full feature support
Minecraft 1.16.2+
Modern versions with Forge ModLauncher and Fabric support:- Require Java 16+ for building
- Use newer Mixin systems
- May require additional setup steps when building
Platform naming convention
When referencing specific versions in the codebase or build commands, use the format:1.8.9-forge1.21.1-fabric1.20.4-neoforge
Building specific versions
To build Essential for a specific version:Building any version other than 1.12.2 (the main version) requires all versions between it and 1.12.2 to be set up first. The time saved over building all versions may vary.
Version detection
The build system automatically detects the Minecraft version and platform from the project name. These are available in build scripts as:mcVersion: Int- Numeric version (e.g.,11202for 1.12.2)mcVersionStr: String- String version (e.g.,"1.12.2")mcPlatform: String- Platform name ("forge","fabric", or"neoforge")
Version-specific dependencies
Some dependencies are only included for specific version ranges:- slf4j-to-log4j - Bundled for MC < 1.19.3 (older versions lack slf4j)
- immediatelyfast - Included for MC ≥ 1.18.0 (performance optimizations)
- Fabric API modules - Included for MC ≥ 1.20.6 on Fabric
build.gradle.kts in the source repository for complete dependency logic.