This version is very popular and very loved by speedrunning community, because 1.16 changed speedrunning . It upgraded the Nether dimension and added a whole new trading system that helps massively in a speedrun. This is currently the most popular category in speedrunning, everybody usually starts here. It is so great because the update brought the new structure – “Bastion”. This is the META(literally the only way to get a good run) for speedrunning, because with Bastions Mojang added piglins, who can trade a lot of useful stuff for gold. But arguably the most important items are: Ender Pearls, Fire Resistance potions, blocks and string to make wool(to create beds to slain Ender Dragon with). The other very important reason people only play on this version is Ender Pearl trades, piglings have a specific trading system, they can trade a lot of blocks and each trade has a specific percentage, it is around 5% in 1.16.(number is reduced in versions after 1.16) This is very helpful, because the faster you get the pearls, the faster you finish the run. This is by far the most dominated version people speedrun on.
Pre 1.8
Minecraft speedruns have different categories, but the one of the main ones are Pre 1.8 and 1.16+. Pre 1.8 is Minecraft speedrun category, the reason it’s divided by versions is simple, in June of 2020 the Nether update was published, which changed speedrunning completly. So because of that, all minecraft speedruns before this version are just called “Pre 1.8”, those speedruns are usualy much longer than 1.16+, because features monumental to a fast speedrun were not added yet. For example before 1.16 speedrunners had to kill Endermen maually to obtain Enderpearls which are cruisal to complete a speedrun. That is the main reason why speedruns were much slower before 1.16. Another reason was that people didn’t know much about speedruns and strategies in general, right now people know about Ender Dragon AI and can do a lot om complicated techs, for example “One Shot“. That’s why it’s important to differentiate those categories. In my opinion, speedruns to shine only after 1.16, but pre 1.8 is still important. Pre 1.8 also has its own legendary speedrunners/Minecraft YouTubers, Illlumina is one of them. Illumina probably deserves his own page on this blog, he is higly respected in speedrun/Minecraft community in general.
Here is a bunch of Pre 1.8 speedruns:
Illuminas former 11:26 WR
16:38 WR
In this video, around 11:45, the speedrunner is using a strategy to obtain Ender Pearls faster. He is using a tech to spawn more Endermen, basically how this works is he is going really high up(far) to increase mob spawns, Minecraft uses simulation distance, so mobs cannot spawn close to a player(or in the same chunk as them), so by making distance between him and mobs, he increases their spawn.
Infumes 16:09 WR
The Creation of Speedruns
On January 2010 on Minecraft version v.1.1.2_01, a player named sf17k decided to try his luck and speedrun for diamonds. This was the first ever “speedrun” attempt in Minecraft history. This point is believed to be the start point of speedruns people know now.
In 2011 people started getting more advanced in their speedrunning. For example here’s a person speedrunning a nether enter for the first time ever. But the start of real speedrunning begins as Minecraft officially releases on November 18th 2011, adding an Ender Dragon and changing trajectory of speedrunning forever.