Fixes more bugs, verified to work on MC 26.1

Fixes and initial support for MC 26.1.

Whoa! That took a while! Version 1.8.0 (Alpha 1) Release is finally here, smoothing things out after a period of development and bringing some exciting additions. As always, your feedback is absolutely vital, so jump in, experiment, and tell me everything you find!

Seriously, are we past 950,000 downloads across all distribution platforms?! That's completely wild! Unreal! Huge thanks to everyone for checking this shaderpack out!

Main Updates & Improvements

Nether & End Mist Effects:

I've been working on enabling a simplified, yet beautiful, mist effect for the Nether and the End dimensions – aiming for compatibility on all but the absolute lowest settings. This brings a hint of one of the most intense effects Bloop supports to the masses!

Voxy Support:

This release includes experimental support for the popular LOD mod, Voxy! Get ready for improved distant visuals.

Alongside these, there's a whole host of fixes, including improvements to bloom, night vision effects, and much more. Honestly, after months of tiny tweaks, I've almost forgotten half of them! The full release will include a much more descriptive list of everything that's changed.

Please note that this is an Alpha release, and therefore isn’t fully tested across all supported mods and platforms. Some of the new code might be a bit slower for now. These are known areas for optimization that will be fully addressed before the full release as various variables are fully toned in and locked down.

Please report any and all issues you encounter on our Discord server.

Happy belated New Year, everyone!

🌄 Version 1.7.0 - Fixes

Fixes some issues a user found with the realistic clouds and restores the stars.

🌄 Version 1.7.0

Blimey! that took a while! version 1.7.0 Release irons out the initial hiccups from Beta 1, and 2, and beyond, and packs in even more refinements. As always, your feedback is crucial, so dive in, break it, and let me know what else you find!

Gee, are we past 550k already?! We're closing in on 560K downloads on modrinth alone + closing in on 10k on Curseforge???!! Insane! Unreal! Ludicrous and insane!

Thanks and thanks again and again and again...

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

Major Fixes and Improvements

• Performance Recovery
  Fixed a major oopsie from Beta 1 where some experimental SSAO settings slipped through, causing significant performance hits. SSAO is now back to being efficient and reliable!

• Dimension Compatibility Restored
  Addressed critical issues that broke rendering in the Nether and the End dimensions. Adventure away, interdimensional travelers!

• CurseForge is Here!
  Good news—CurseForge download is now officially available and live. Check it out if that's your preferred platform!

Recap: New Features from Beta 1

Enhanced Distant Horizons Support

• Fully overhauled backend integration for smoother distant rendering.
• Stability and visual improvements for expansive vistas.

Held Items Now Emit Light

• Holding torches or glowstone lights your surroundings dynamically—perfect for caves and building sessions.

Optional Pixelated Effects

• Nostalgia mode activated: pixelate your world for some retro charm.

Slick Motion Blur

• New cinematic motion blur—adds fluidity and depth to movement.

Improved Underwater Fog

• Simplified, efficient, and visually superior underwater effects—clearer and richer underwater exploration.

Cleaner Water Reflections

• New clarity-enhancing settings for pristine reflective surfaces, enhanced by SSR.

Revamped Volumetric Mist

• Improved visuals and performance—optimized for gameplay clarity, lighting, and more options coming soon.

Rewritten Fog Density System

• Fog visuals are now simpler, more stable, and visually consistent even at extreme distances.

Square Highlights (Experimental)

• Optional Minecraft-authentic highlights, available as a beta setting.

Volumetric Self-Shadowing

• Adds extra realism and depth to mist and fog environments.

Extended Shadows (Fake Shadow Drawing)

• Enhanced shadow coverage option, ideal for distant LoD views—choose between real and simulated shadows.

Skybox & Nametag Enhancements

• Skybox rendering now supported.
• Nametag stability and rendering greatly improved.

Tons of Under-the-Hood Tweaks

• Countless minor fixes, tweaks, and code optimizations for overall stability and polish.

Dive in, enjoy, and keep the feedback flowing! Let's keep pushing forward!

– Espen

🌄 Public Beta – Version 1.7.0 (Beta 2)

Here we go again—round two! This second beta for version 1.7.0 irons out the initial hiccups from Beta 1 and packs in even more refinements. As always, your feedback is crucial, so dive in, break it, and let me know what else you find!

And yes, we're closing in on half a million downloads—almost 500k! Absolutely wild. Thanks again, everyone, for your amazing support.

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

What's Improved in Beta 2

Major Fixes and Improvements

• Performance Recovery
  Fixed a major oopsie from Beta 1 where some experimental SSAO settings slipped through, causing significant performance hits. SSAO is now back to being efficient and reliable!

• Dimension Compatibility Restored
  Addressed critical issues that broke rendering in the Nether and the End dimensions. Adventure away, interdimensional travelers!

• CurseForge is Here!
  Good news—CurseForge download is now officially available and live. Check it out if that's your preferred platform!

Recap: New Features from Beta 1

Enhanced Distant Horizons Support

• Fully overhauled backend integration for smoother distant rendering.
• Stability and visual improvements for expansive vistas.

Held Items Now Emit Light

• Holding torches or glowstone lights your surroundings dynamically—perfect for caves and building sessions.

Optional Pixelated Effects

• Nostalgia mode activated: pixelate your world for some retro charm.

Slick Motion Blur

• New cinematic motion blur—adds fluidity and depth to movement.

Improved Underwater Fog

• Simplified, efficient, and visually superior underwater effects—clearer and richer underwater exploration.

Cleaner Water Reflections

• New clarity-enhancing settings for pristine reflective surfaces, enhanced by SSR.

Revamped Volumetric Mist

• Improved visuals and performance—optimized for gameplay clarity, lighting, and more options coming soon.

Rewritten Fog Density System

• Fog visuals are now simpler, more stable, and visually consistent even at extreme distances.

Square Highlights (Experimental)

• Optional Minecraft-authentic highlights, available as a beta setting.

Volumetric Self-Shadowing

• Adds extra realism and depth to mist and fog environments.

Extended Shadows (Fake Shadow Drawing)

• Enhanced shadow coverage option, ideal for distant LoD views—choose between real and simulated shadows.

Skybox & Nametag Enhancements

• Skybox rendering now supported.
• Nametag stability and rendering greatly improved.

Tons of Under-the-Hood Tweaks

• Countless minor fixes, tweaks, and code optimizations for overall stability and polish.

Dive in, enjoy, and keep the feedback flowing! Beta 2 brings 1.7.0 even closer to prime-time, thanks entirely to your testing and support. Let's keep pushing forward to 500k!

– Espen

🌄 Public Beta – Version 1.7.0

It’s that time again! This is one of the biggest leaps yet and kicks off a whole new round of testing for everyone who loves to live on the bleeding edge. As always, your feedback is what keeps things moving forward—so please, try it out, break things, and let me know what you find!

And yes, we just hit 465k downloads. Absolutely wild. Thank you, everyone.

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

What’s New in This Beta

Much Better Distant Horizons Support

• Major internal overhaul for how Distant Horizons is handled.
• Lots of fiddly under-the-hood fixes—should be much smoother, more reliable, and just work better.

Held Items Can Now Cast Light

• Torches, glowstone—if you hold it, it lights up the world.
• Makes caving, building, and exploring that much more immersive.

Pixelated Effects – Because Why Not?

• It’s trending, it’s fun, and now it’s here.
• Optional! Flip it on in settings for those classic retro vibes.

Motion Blur

• New for 1.7.0—motion blur is in!
• Looks slick, especially in motion.

Underwater Fog Overhaul

• Way faster and much simpler under the hood.
• Improved clarity and vibe—should look awesome in oceans, rivers, and caves.

Cleaner Water Reflections

• New setting for those who want super clear water reflections.
• Looks great, especially with the new SSR modes.

Major Volumetric Mist Improvements

• Totally reworked—now, bit cheaper bit better.
• Tuned to be much better for gameplay: more visibility, better lighting, and more options coming soon.

Fog Density System Reworked

• The fog density math has been rewritten: simpler, just as good, and much easier to maintain.
• The way fog works has also been tweaked to stay visually solid even at massive distances.
• Should be more consistent and reliable, no matter how big your world is.

Square Highlights – Beta Feature

• For that authentic Minecraft look.
• Still experimental, but available under beta settings.

Volumetric Self-Shadowing

• Adds extra depth and realism to mist and fog.
• Makes everything feel just a bit more dramatic.

Extended Shadows (Fake Shadow Drawing)

• New option for shadow lovers: draw fake shadows even beyond the shadowmap.
• In Distant Horizons, you can now choose between real or fake shadows—trade off sharper close-up shadows for better LoD coverage.

Skybox Support & Better Nametags

• Skybox rendering is now an option!
• Nametag fixes are even more robust (again).

And So Many Fixes…

• Honestly, I can never keep track of all the changes—there’s just a ton of little improvements and code cleanups under the hood, as usual.
• If you find something that works better, it was definitely intentional, for sure.

Note:
If CurseForge is more your cup of tea, it should be an option soon—just pending approval.!

That’s it for now—enjoy testing, and keep the feedback coming! 1.7.0 is shaping up to be something special, and it’s all thanks to you.

– Espen

🌟 Public Release – Version 1.6.1

It’s here! After extensive testing and refinements, this version is ready for full release. Packed with new features, optimizations, and quality improvements, this update is the biggest step forward yet.

As always, feedback is incredibly valuable, and I appreciate everyone who's supported the project so far.

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

What’s New in This Release

Expanded Screen Space Reflections (SSR)

Three SSR modes are now available for both translucent and solid materials, with massive performance enhancements:

• Sky Only SSR
  Perfect for adding a subtle shine to metals or polished blocks.
  Reflects only the sky, delivering a clean, atmospheric effect.

• Simplified SSR
  Designed for everyday use with proper reflections and roughness.
  Takes a few creative liberties in accuracy, but the results are great – most won’t notice the trade-offs!

• Accurate Reflections
  Built on the old SSR solution but with reduced noise and improved speed.
  Doesn’t take as many shortcuts as the simplified method – ideal for powerful rigs or when you need that perfect screenshot.

Performance Enhancements

Performance has improved significantly across the board, especially on the default Medium profile.

• Bloops’ lowest-end profile remains as optimized as ever and is now nearing the limits of what can be achieved without sacrificing shadows, textures, or other fundamentals.
• Work continues on a shadowless version, and I’m looking for ways to work around some remaining bottlenecks when running on low-end hardware.

Bug Fixes & System Tweaks

• Fixed issues with distant horizons and the global illumination system, ensuring a smoother experience across the board.
• Various smaller improvements to refine rendering quality.

New Feature: Litematica Support

Litematica support has now been added! You can find this under Misc Settings.

What’s Next?

While 1.6.1 brings major improvements, the next version will introduce some highly requested features from the community.

For now, enjoy the update! 🎉 Thank you all for your incredible support.

Hey all!

In this one I have improved performance quite a bit I think, and fixed a bunch of bugs :D

we now got support for litematica, you can find that under the misc settings.

until next time!

fixes an oversight that broke AMD support.

🌟 300k Downloads Milestone & Public Beta Release! 🌟

It feels unreal – it feels like we just passed 200k downloads last week, and 100k the week before that.
The growth has been nothing short of amazing, and I’m incredibly grateful for every single download.

Please note: This is a public beta release and an experiment in delivering the shader into everyone’s hands just a bit earlier. While it’s packed with new features, it still needs a bit more work before it can be called a full release, including thorough verification on all platforms.
Feedback is greatly appreciated!

Discord invite, look for espens-shaderpacks

What’s New in This Release

Experimental SSR Modes

I’m excited to introduce three levels of SSR for both translucent and solid materials:

Sky Only SSR:
Perfect for adding a subtle shine to metals or polished blocks.
Reflects only the sky, delivering a clean, atmospheric effect.

Simplified SSR:
Designed for everyday use with proper reflections and roughness.
Takes a few creative liberties in accuracy, but the results are just fine – more than good enough that you might not even notice the trade-offs!

Accurate Reflections:
Built of the old SSR solution but with reduced noise and improved speed.
Doesn’t take as many shortcuts as the simplified method – ideal for powerful rigs or when you need that perfect screenshot.

Optimized Performance:

I’m thrilled to report that performance has improved significantly over the previous release, especially on the default Medium profile.
Bloops’ lowest-end profile remains as fast and beautiful as ever, and it keeps up the reputation of being built in a scalable way that doesn’t compromise lower-end devices.

Bug Fixes & System Tweaks:
This release also fixes several bugs – notably with distant horizons and the Global illumination system – ensuring a smoother experience across the board.

As the shader has matured, I’ve added a lot of extra visual flair that really shines on higher-end computers. My main goal remains to bring these features to everyone, regardless of their hardware...
This release now allows more people to experience proper screen space reflections for blocks, I hope you all enjoy it.

Thank you all so much for your incredible support. It’s been a wild ride watching this project grow, and I’m excited for what’s to come!

🌟 Bloop recently hit 200k downloads! 🌟

It feels like we just hit 100k yesterday — time really flies! I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported and enjoyed this shader since the beginning.
Special thanks to the amazing communities in shaderLabs and the Iris Discord <3.

Thank you again for your continued support. Here’s a nice lil update to celebrate this milestone:

This update is absolutely massive on the inside.
Performance should be about the same, but if you are on a very low end device, you might want to try out older builds if this update isn't fast enough C:

The next updates should be more performance than feature focused!

Raspberry Pi 5 Support!

Enable this under Beta settings
(you’ll get an error, but it should work).

Massively Improved PBR System

Now properly supports translucent materials,
and hard-coded metals!

Beta: Water Fog Density

Adjust the density of water fog to suit your preference.

Beta: Screenspace Shadows Beyond Shadow Range

Extend screenspace shadows for a more immersive experience.

Improved Depth of Field

More accurate settings, chromatic aberrations
and new tilt-shift options.

Volumetric Fog Enhancements

Fewer visual glitches and improved overall quality.
Customize fog to your liking with time of day and strength options!

Vanilla Sky Color Option

For those who want a more classic look, the sky will be tinted to match the biome

Floodfill Lighting Updates

New option for dynamic lights to interact with it.

SSR Updates

Screen-space reflections now "stick" better to the ground.
The reflections look better at lower settings.
SSR is generally faster and of a higher quality than before.
Vanilla clouds can now reflect when no custom clouds are enabled.

Enhanced Distant Horizons Water Rendering

Closer to normal water, with better blending.

And More!

Including a ton of bug fixes and smaller tweaks I probably forgot!

I hope you enjoy these updates as much as I enjoyed creating them. Here's to more improvements and exciting new features ahead!

Thank you all once again! 💙

adds two fixes that was accidentally left out of the release build of 1.5.0

Bloop just hit 100k downloads!!! Absolutely insane!!
I don't have much to say beyond thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this shader since the beginning, to everyone in shaderLabs and the iris discords who have given support and assistance in getting Bloop to this point.

I hope you continue to enjoy this shader as I continue to improve upon this still growing project.

I am currently working on a larger cleanup of Bloops code which should unlock more exciting effects for the nether and the end in the future, as well as optimization opportunies for some of the heavier effects.

I also hope this will allow for better support on funny platforms such as the raspberry Pi 5 enjoyers, igpus and even phones in the future!

Thank you all, and for now, here is a modest update:

• Improved the fog system (fog settings coming soon).

• water fog now renders correctly behind glass.

• water refraction will now refract translucent blocks underwater.

• New option to denoise water reflections.

• No more weird dark areas on elytras, skeletons etc. all one sided geometry now work correctly with ssao and other effetcs.

• Improved distant horizons water rendering.

• DH shadows should be slightly less prone to glitches.

• Works on Mac silicon again!

• PBR reflections work better now.

• a ton of bug fixes.

• Added Directional lightmaps.
• Normal map strength can now be adjusted.
• PBR reflections now got minimum and maximum samples.

• Better PBR reflections.

• A lot of bugfixes.

• Slightly more bloom.
• Upped the amount of fog.

• Adjusted the mist to look better in edge case.

• Better handling of DH.

Fixes normal maps

Fixes a breaking issue with the new clouds in the End

• Better performance for low end computers

• New realistic clouds (optional)

• Shadow improvements.

• Faster volumetric mist.

• Ambient light updates.

• Better water reflections with low samples.

• Improved procedural PBR for Iris.

• Improved AO.
• Misc stuff.

• higher fps at default settings!

• Colored shadows.

• Cleaner shadows.

• Improved SSS.

• Slightly warmer ambient light.
• Better noise for DH.

• Adjusted water waves.

• LabPBR now has a fallback for packs that assume the shader will do certain effects.

• Fixed an issue that broke PBR reflections.
• Misc stuff and whatever I might not remember

Fixes Depth of field

Fixes some issues and oversights found in 1.2.3

Fog now works properly with transparent objects
Fixes an oversight with the new "Textured water" option

fixes an issue where Distant horizons exclusive uniforms could trigger an error when not using Distant horizons.

Fog is now a bit denser as well

Better Beta clouds

• Adjustable sunset multiplier
• Toggle for vanilla water
• New wind for leaves and grass
• Improved DH renderign for water
• Massive internal cleanups
• Better Procedural PBR
• Procedural Normal maps and POM
• Various bugfixes

Beta

• Alternate clouds you can fly above
• tweaked sspt

Fixes an oversight that broke mac support. Might also increase performance slightly

• Fixes various bugs related to DH
• Fixes Floodfill lighting in the nether and the end

• Fixes issues with transparent blocks

• Updates the nether and end to work with the new mist options

- Floodfill lighting, credit to Null for supplying the original code.

- New Volumetric mist.
- Pictures taken on the NBC Zelda server

• Fairly complete optifine support.
• Slightly better performance on low end devices.

• Experimental support for more realistic clouds.

• Misc fixes and adjustments.

• Physics Mod support.

• Brighter nights during rain.

• End dimension is dark, not bright.

• Better, but not complete Optifine support.

• Misc fixes and adjustments.

Fixes a small issue with the TAA leading to the sky smearing at night

Minor fixes

Bug fixes, some new effects and better performance.