How The Vault Works in Minecraft 1.21

Mojang is constantly working to improve Minecraft with new versions that introduce blocks, systems, and even biomes. With Minecraft 1.21, it’s implementing one new block that all players will want to get their hands on, The Vault.

At the time of writing, Minecraft 1.21 is the latest version of the game that’s currently in development with Mojang. It features many experimental mechanics that will eventually make it into the main game, but they’re still very much in testing and must be perfected.

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How The Vault Block Works in Minecraft 1.21

The Vault block in Minecraft 1.21 is a treasure chest that players can open with Trial Keys earned by completing Trial Chambers. Players will encounter Trial Chambers when delving deep underground into the Deepslate Layer, roughly between layers Y=8 and Y=0, in search of a challenge. Once players have beaten the test they present, which usually consists of a group of enemies such as The Breeze to fight, they’ll be able to claim a Trial Key and unlock The Vault block for their rewards.

Each Trial Chamber rewards players who complete them with a Trial Key just once. This means that regardless of how quickly a player completes a Trial Chamber, they’ll still get a key and can still open The Vault to claim the treasure inside. However, after that key has been used, that Trial Chamber won’t award players with another again, so they’ll need to go out and seek more if they want to unlock more Vaults.

Can You Craft The Vault Block in Minecraft 1.21?

It’s not possible to craft The Vault block in Minecraft 1.21. Mojang deliberately limited this feature because it doesn’t want players to create an easy way to farm treasure and high-value weapons, gear, and resources. Instead, it wants players to delve deep and explore Trial Chambers to claim those treasures.

The Vault isn’t a block that’s likely ever going to be craftable. The only way players will be able to use it is by placing it in Creative Mode when building a Trial Chamber. Since the block requires a Trial Key to be opened, there’s no point placing one without a Trial Chamber.