The Minecraft Live 2025 summer update brings one of the most surprising passive mobs yet—the Happy Ghast. Unlike its explosive Nether counterpart, this mob evolves through an entirely new overworld process, providing players with exploration tools, multiplayer benefits, and even a touch of humor.

How to Start: Finding the Dried Ghast in the Nether (Minecraft Live 2025)

The Happy Ghast’s origin begins in the Soul Sand valleys of the Nether. Look closely at Nether fossils to discover the dried ghast, a mob-block hybrid with a sad expression and tentacles. It won’t attack, but its parched appearance hints at what needs to be done next. Since water cannot function in the Nether, players must break the dried ghast (no tool required) and transport it to the Overworld.

Once submerged in water, green particles confirm the hydration process. The dried ghast slowly transforms—its color returns, its face smiles—and after 20 minutes, the real evolution begins.

Gastling: A Floating Companion You Can Tame

Once fully hydrated, the dried ghast evolves into a gastling, a floating balloon-like mob that bonds with the nearest player. Imprinting begins automatically, and the mob follows that player, adding a cute companion dynamic. Though passive and unable to shoot, the gastling can explore nearby areas and remain close, especially if attached to a lead.

To speed up its growth, feed it snowballs. This detail cleverly ties into its hydration mechanic, creating a natural way to evolve the mob into its final form—the Happy Ghast.

Riding the Happy Ghast: Features, Customization, and Utility (Minecraft Live 2025)

The Happy Ghast enters the game as a fully passive mob with 40 HP (20 hearts), available via evolution or creative mode. Players cannot breed the mob currently. It does not spawn naturally and takes damage from fire and lava—marking a clear departure from the Nether-based ghast.

What makes this mob unique isn’t just its demeanor. The Happy Ghast is fully rideable, supporting up to four players simultaneously. To ride it, players must craft a harness using three leather, two glass, and any color wool. With 16 possible harness colors, personalization is built into the mechanic. Even better, the harness comes with aviator goggles that animate based on rider presence.

Once mounted, the Happy Ghast floats steadily and can even be used as a solid block platform. When the player stands on it, the mob freezes in place and becomes a walkable surface—perfect for mid-air construction or high-altitude building.

Building at Height and Multiplayer Use Cases

The Happy Ghast offers a smart alternative to scaffolding. Builders can now position themselves precisely in the sky without relying on stacks or tedious block placements. The hover-and-hold behavior provides an ideal solution for difficult roofing or floating structure projects.

For multiplayer scenarios, the Happy Ghast becomes even more valuable with the new locator bar. Replacing the XP bar (when XP isn’t active), the locator bar displays teammate positions using square indicators and arrows for vertical variation. Players can also hide from this tracker by crouching, using a mob head, or turning invisible.

By riding the Happy Ghast across large areas, players can track friends and navigate to shared projects more efficiently. Its gentle nature and multi-player support make it an ideal travel companion for survival worlds and SMPs.