Fog

For the command in Bedrock Edition, see Commands/fog.
The dense, brown water fog in a swamp.

Fog is a rendering feature intended for obscuring the player's view distance, usually for atmospheric effect or for seamlessly occluding sharp boundaries such as unloaded chunks. While traditionally referring to render distance, there are many other types of fog that can be encountered in-game under specific circumstances.

Fog types

Render distance fog

Default air fog is what causes the brighter sky color at zenith, and slight fading at the edge of the render distance.

This refers to fog that is dependent of the render distance, which includes air fog in the Overworld and the End in Bedrock Edition, or general fog in all dimensions in Java Edition.

The sight distance in the render distance fog is equal to the render distance, and the shape is a cylinder, which begins to appear at 92% of the render distance. Its color depends mainly on the biome the camera is in, and is affected by:

  • the current day-time, and the effect the dimension uses
    • For the Overworld effect, the brightness of the color changes with day time.
    • For the Nether effect, the brightness of the color is not affected by day time.
    • For the End effect, the brightness of the color does not change with day time, but is 15% of the biome fog color.
  • the current sky color, and the render distance
    • The smaller the render distance, the closer the color of the fog is adjusted to the sky color.
    • When the render distance is 32, the color of the fog is not affected by the sky color.
  • the direction the player is facing during a sunrise or sunset if the render distance is not less than 4
  • the current weather

The base fog color is
 #c0d8ff in Java Edition and
 #abd2ff in Bedrock Edition. In the End, the fog color is
 #a080a0 in Java Edition and
 #0b080c in Bedrock Edition. In pale gardens, the fog color is
 #817770.

Weather fog is colored gray and obstructs a larger part of the view distance.

In Bedrock Edition, a separate type of render distance fog is used during precipitation, known as weather fog. This fog is much denser; it appears at 23% of the render distance and becomes opaque at 70% of the render distance. The base color changes to
 #666666, or
 #403C44 in pale gardens.

Environmental fog

This feature is exclusive to Java Edition.
 
Environmental fog shown through the zoom of a spyglass.

This refers to fog that renders ambiently inside chunks in the Overworld[verify] that are far away from the player. This type of fog grows in strength at greater distances from the player and does not change with render distance.

Rain fog

Environmental fog grows in strength during precipitation. Rain-based fog becomes weaker when the player is not exposed to as much sky light (sky light is always the same regardless of the weather or daylight cycle). This creates the effect of the fog getting weaker when the player is not in the rain.

Special fog

This refers to fog used in special cases, which does not change with render distance.

Water fog

Water fog in a river, after 5 seconds.

When the camera is in water, a dedicated fog in the shape of a cylinder is applied to simulate this. Underwater fog progressively recedes with time spent underwater. The color and distance‌[BE only] depends on the biome the camera is in (see Water § Color for a full list). In Java Edition, swamps and mangrove swamps have a thicker fog than most other biomes, which is controlled by the biome tag has_closer_water_fog.

When the camera descends into water, a much thicker initial fog is applied first, with the same color but obscuring the distance at 0.01 blocks, which is blended for 25% with regular fog at the start. The transition fog slowly disappears, being blended for 60% at 5 seconds and removed at 30 seconds.

Lava fog

Lava fog is so dense that it even fades held items on the HUD.

When the camera is in lava, an even thicker fog in the shape of a sphere is applied. Its color is
 #991A00. With this fog, normally the player can see only 1 block away. The Fire Resistance effect can mitigate the fog so that the sight distance becomes 3 blocks. In Spectator mode, the fog is even less opaque to reveal objects located within up to half the render distance.

Powder snow fog

Being beneath powder snow imparts another fog in the shape of a sphere. Its color is
 #9FBBC8. With this fog, normally the player can see only 2 blocks away. In Spectator mode, the fog becomes thinner so that things within half of the render distance are visible.

Nether fog

In Bedrock Edition, sky and weather fog in Nether biomes has a specified range of blocks and does not change with the render distance, like other types of sky and weather fog. In the shape of a sphere, it begins to appear at 10 blocks and becomes opaque at 96 blocks. The color depends on the biome, which is
 #330808 in Nether wastes,
 #1a051a in warped forests,
 #330303 in crimson forests,
 #1b4745 in soul sand valleys, and
 #685f70 in basalt deltas.

Volumetric fog

This feature is exclusive to Bedrock Edition.
 
A comparison of volumetric fog off vs on in a pale garden.
Volumetric fog applied underwater.

With Vibrant Visuals and ray tracing, an additional type of fog is applied on top of regular fog settings. Volumetric fog has strong effect on how light behaves, which can be faded out, make the fog glow, or scatter into light shafts. The fog types used for volumetric fog are the same as all other fogs (sky, weather, water, lava, lava resistance). At Y=320 and higher, volumetric fog is not rendered.

All types of fog can scatter or absorb different colors light while it travels through air, clouds, or water objects, which can provide additional colors for these objects.

With Vibrant Visuals, fog in water and air can affect how light shafts behave with the Henyey-Greenstein G phase function.

The density, scattering, absorption, and Henyey-Greenstein G values for air fog are different for some biomes. Additionaly, color grading makes all types of fog appear in different colors for each biome.

  • Default volumetric fog creates a glow around the sun and slight light shafts.
    Default volumetric fog creates a glow around the sun and slight light shafts.
  • Semi-humid volumetric fog fades blocks in the distance with an orange color.
    Semi-humid volumetric fog fades blocks in the distance with an orange color.
  • Humid volumetric fog creates a warm atmosphere.
    Humid volumetric fog creates a warm atmosphere.
  • In ice spikes, barely any light shafts appear and the fog tints the environment more gray.
    In ice spikes, barely any light shafts appear and the fog tints the environment more gray.
  • Mushroom fields fog is purple, more noticeable at the glow around the sun and at zenith.
    Mushroom fields fog is purple, more noticeable at the glow around the sun and at zenith.
  • Fog in pale gardens is very dense and decreases view distance, but allows light shafts to pass.
    Fog in pale gardens is very dense and decreases view distance, but allows light shafts to pass.
  • Fog in dark forests creates a glow around the sun and more light shafts, while coloring the rest of the sky dull blue.
    Fog in dark forests creates a glow around the sun and more light shafts, while coloring the rest of the sky dull blue.
  • Fog in swamps fades many objects in the distance with dark green.
    Fog in swamps fades many objects in the distance with dark green.
  • The End volumetric fog is only visible during an End flash, and creates many light shafts and purple fading.
    The End volumetric fog is only visible during an End flash, and creates many light shafts and purple fading.

Fog modifiers

Height

If the world is not a superflat world, and the camera is not in lava and not in powder snow, the brightness becomes power(clamp((y-minY)*0.03125,0.0,1.0)) of the original, which means that the color changes to pure black gradually from minY+32 to minY.

Blindness and Darkness

Blindness and Darkness set the fog color to pure black in the shape of a sphere. The sight distance with Blindness is 5 blocks, while the sight distance with Darkness is 15 blocks. Both Blindness- and Darkness-caused fog fade out when the effect ends, while Darkness fog also fades in.

Blindness has a higher priority than Darkness. The two effects do not work if the camera is in lava or powder snow.

Wither

If there is a wither boss event, the color becomes darker and slightly redder.

Night Vision

If the camera is not in water, and the entity has no Darkness effect, Night Vision makes the color brighter.

Nether and ender dragon

If the entity has no Blindness or Darkness, in a dimension with the Nether effect,‌[JE only] or a dimension where there's an ender dragon boss event, the sight distance in the render distance fog (not water, lava, powder snow fog) is half of the rendering distance, and the maximum sight distance is 96 blocks. The shape becomes a sphere.

Objects unaffected by fog

Most things in the world are affected by fog. There are exceptions, most to all of which are presumably unintended:

  • The world border[1]
    • Render distance fog is not used for the world border. It uses its own draw distance algorithm, which introduces inconsistencies.[2] It being unaffected by fog is mainly visible via water, lava, powder fog, blindness and darkness fog.
  • Chunk border lines[3]
    • The core shader used for rendering these differs only from the normal shader used for translucent blocks in that it ignores fog. It is unknown if this was done intentionally, or is an oversight.
  • Charged creeper armor[4]
  • Wither anti-projectile armor[5]

In addition, the beams emitted by beacons and end gateways use an outdated spherical fog boundary, rather than the modern cylinder shape.[6] The intended behavior may be for beacon beams to be unaffected by fog, at least of certain types and in some directions.[7]

Custom fogs

For the fog settings in resource packs, see Fog definition.
This feature is exclusive to Bedrock Edition.
 

In Bedrock Edition, the currently active fog settings can be changed with the /fog command, which has settings for every biome. These fog settings can be customized using resource packs, or new fog settings can be added. When applying a fog setting to a biome, the identifier needs to be specified in the client biome JSON files.

Active fog settings are determined from three aspects:

  • Custom fog stack (from /fog command)
  • Fog settings for the current biome
  • Default fog setting

Whenever the game needs to get the current fog, it checks the fog settings from these three aspects from the top (the newest fog setting in the fog stack from the command) to the bottom (default fog setting) in order, until it finds a fog definition for the current fog type.

In other words, this is equivalent to that all fog settings from the three aspects are applied one by one from the bottom (default fog setting) to the top (the newest fog setting in the fog stack from the command) in order. The fogs in a fog setting applied later overrides that of earlier fog settings. Each fog type works independently.

Vanilla fog settings

Void fog

BlockSprite rose.png: Sprite image for rose in Minecraft
This section describes content that has been removed from the game.
 
This feature was present in earlier versions of Java Edition, but has since been removed.

In prior versions of Java Edition (specifically Beta 1.8 Pre-release through 14w34b inclusive, up to its removal in 14w34c), a thick black fog was introduced. As the player descended below Y=26, this fog would start to appear. As the player traveled deeper, the fog at the edge of the render distance would become closer until the player reached the first layers of bedrock, where visibility was reduced to just a few blocks, beyond which was complete darkness similar to the Blindness effect. The gray void particles started appearing below Y=7, as well as in the void.

The existence of this fog depended on a lack of sky lighting. If vent holes were opened up to allow skylight to enter an otherwise secluded underground space, void fog would no longer be present, so long as the player kept near this skylight source.

Void fog was removed late into 1.8's development for performance reasons and general community distaste.[8]

  • A player's view limit would decrease with depth.
    A player's view limit would decrease with depth.

History

Java Edition

Java Edition Classic
0.0.12aAdded water and lava fog.
Lava fog in this version is similar to water fog, except orange in color.
0.0.13aLava fog is now redder and appears much closer to the player.
0.0.14aImplemented render distance fog. It appears only for lit surfaces. Initially, it is blue in color.
0.0.14a_08Render distance fog is now white in color.
Java Edition Indev
0.3120100107-1851Level themes have been added, which feature different fog colors.
The fog color in Hell-themed worlds is
 #100400.
20100122The color of fog, clouds and the sky can now be configured via map editing.
20100214The fog color in Paradise-themed worlds is
 #C6DEFF by default.
The fog color in Woods-themed worlds is
 #4D5A5B by default.
Java Edition Infdev
20100227-1414With the deprecation of indev worlds, fog color is no longer customizable.
Fog color has been changed to
 #B0D0FF.
20100618Fog color has been changed to
 #C0D8FF.
Java Edition Alpha
v1.2.0The fog color in the Nether is
 #330808.
Java Edition Beta
1.8Pre-releaseAdded void fog.
Pre-release 2 ;)Many of void fog's effects can be circumvented by having sky access.
Java Edition
1.0.0Beta 1.9 Prerelease 2Added blindness fog.
Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4The fog color in the End is
 #131318.
1.111w48aPlayers in creative mode can no longer see void fog.
1.2.112w03aAdded nether fog.
1.3.112w25aThe fog color in the End has been changed to
 #181318.
1.7.213w36aThe distance where fog starts has been doubled.
13w38aRe-adjusted fog to appear near the render distance limit again, reverting changes made in 13w36a.
Fog now covers 25% of the render distance, compared to 75% before 13w36a.
1.814w34cRemoved void fog and its associated particles.
1.1318w08bWater now appears fully fogged when entered, and gradually becomes clearer over time.
The Respiration enchantment and Water Breathing effect no longer have an effect on water fog.
18w10aWater fog now varies per biome.
Water fog no longer takes time to clear in Spectator mode.
1.1620w06aFog color is now based on the current biome, rather than the dimension.
The End biomes are coded with a fog color of
 #A080A0.
The End dimension darkens every biome's fog color by 85%.
20w09aFog color no longer changes abruptly when switching biomes.[9]
Pre-release 3The Fire Resistance effect now makes under-lava fog slightly less harsh.
1.16.220w28aFog color is now something that can be changed by custom biomes.
Pre-release 1Added dimension effects, allowing for nether fog to be applied to any custom dimension.
1.1720w46aAdded powder snow, which has its own dedicated fog effect.
20w48aHow submerged the player has to be in lava to see the fog effect has now changed.[10]
21w10aRender distance fog is now spherical, and no longer changes based on the view angle.[11][12]
21w11aUnderwater fog is now far less intense when in Spectator mode.[verify] However, it is still present.[13]
Lava fog is now far less intense when in Spectator mode.[14] However, it is still present.[15]
Powder snow fog is now far less intense when in Spectator mode.[16] However, it is still present.[17]
1.18.1Pre-release 1World fog now starts further away from the player, to make distant terrain more visible.
Instead of applying fog as a spherical volume, it is now applied as a cylindrical volume, making it easier to see into the distance when standing on tall mountains.
?End portals and end gateways are now affected by fog in the manner that all other blocks are.
1.21.625w19aAdded environmental fog.
25w20aFog is now applied to 3d HUD elements such as first person player hands and items in hands.
Slightly reduced rain and thunder weather fog.
Rain and thunder fog is now significantly reduced when the player is under blocks.
1.21.1125w44aNether fog no longer becomes thicker when playing at lower render distances. Its thickness now always matches how it previously looked at 32 render distance.

Bedrock Edition

Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.1.0Added distance, water, and lava fog.
All fog types are a flat plane based on the camera angle. Render distance fog starts at 50% of the render distance and becomes fully opaque at the render distance limit. Water and lava fog both start at the camera and become fully opaque at 32 blocks and 3 blocks, respectively.
v0.5.0Render distance fog now covers 10% of the render distance.
v0.6.0Render distance fog now covers 40% of the render distance and is now blue instead of gray.
v0.8.0build 1Render distance fog now covers 30% of the render distance.
Due to changes made to chunk rendering in this version, fog is now visible only on chunks that are far enough away from the player. This can cause sharp borders between areas with and without render distance fog, especially on lower render distance settings. This also means that water and lava fog are no longer visible since this version made it so that far chunks do not render while water or lava fog is active.
build 4Water and lava fog are once again visible in rendered chunks.
v0.9.0build 1Render distance fog now covers 100[x−(x/2+8)]/x% of the render distance, with x being the player's render distance in blocks.
This version also added a minimum start distance of 72 blocks to render distance fog, resulting in glitchy behavior if the player sets their render distance to 4 chunks.
In particular, setting the render distance to 4 chunks would cause water to become colored with the fog color, making it indistinguishable from the fog, and cause mobs to lose their textures and become colored with the fog color as well.
build 2The glitchy low render distance fog behavior in the previous build was fixed by adding a minimum distance of 4 blocks between the render distance limit and the start of the fog area, preventing render distance values lower than the minimum available through the settings from being used.
v0.10.0build 1Render distance fog now covers 100[x−(x/3.2+30)]/x% of the render distance, with x being the player's render distance in blocks.
Render distance fog now becomes fully opaque at 20% of the distance between the player and the render distance limit.
The 72 block minimum start distance for render distance fog has been removed.
Water fog now becomes fully opaque 8 blocks away from the camera.
Lava fog now becomes fully opaque 1 block away from the camera.
Sky coloring is now visible through water and lava fog if the "Beautiful skies" toggle is enabled.
build 2All fog is now spherical and no longer changes based on the camera angle when fancy graphics is on.
Render distance fog now covers 100[x−(x/2+32)]/x% of the render distance, with x being the player's render distance in blocks.
Render distance fog once again becomes fully opaque at the render distance limit.
v0.12.1build 1Added weather fog.
v0.14.2Render distance fog now covers 100[x−(x/2+12)]/x% of the render distance, with x being the player's render distance in blocks.
Render distance fog now becomes fully opaque 16 blocks under the render distance limit.
Bedrock Edition
1.16.0beta 1.16.0.51Added lava resistance fog.
1.16.200
Experiment
Caves and Cliffs		beta 1.16.200.52Added powder snow fog.
1.21.80
Experiment
Vibrant Visuals		Preview 1.21.80.25Added volumetric fog to each biome in Vibrant Visuals, with new Henyey-Greenstein G light shafts.

Legacy Console Edition

Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360Xbox OnePS3PS4PS VitaWii USwitch
TU5CU11.001.001.00patch 11.0.1Added Bedrock fog.
TU6Added a toggle to turn Void fog on and off. Fog is disabled by default. Void fog is dependent on the game hosts's settings.

Issues

Issues relating to "Fog" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Screenshots

  • The void, covered in void fog.
    The void, covered in void fog.
  • Fancy fog setting.
    Fancy fog setting.
  • Fast fog setting.
    Fast fog setting.
  • Underwater fog with Vibrant Visuals when no directional light source is visible, which appears black and cyan.
    Underwater fog with Vibrant Visuals when no directional light source is visible, which appears black and cyan.
  • Air fog in the End fades outer End islands with a dark color.
    Air fog in the End fades outer End islands with a dark color.
  • Air fog in Nether wastes.
    Air fog in Nether wastes.
  • Air fog in basalt deltas.
    Air fog in basalt deltas.
  • Air fog in a crimson forest.
    Air fog in a crimson forest.
  • Air fog in a soul sand valley.
    Air fog in a soul sand valley.
  • Air fog in a warped forest.
    Air fog in a warped forest.
  • Air fog in a pale garden.
    Air fog in a pale garden.
  • Weather fog in a pale garden is darker gray than regular weather fog.
    Weather fog in a pale garden is darker gray than regular weather fog.
  • Lava fog with Fire Resistance.
    Lava fog with Fire Resistance.
  • Powder snow fog.
    Powder snow fog.
  • Powder snow fog with Vibrant Visuals appears brighter due to directional lighting and color grading.
    Powder snow fog with Vibrant Visuals appears brighter due to directional lighting and color grading.
  • Water transition fog after 1 second.
    Water transition fog after 1 second.
  • Water transition fog after 5 seconds.
    Water transition fog after 5 seconds.
  • Water transition fog after 30 seconds.
    Water transition fog after 30 seconds.

Water fog colors in Bedrock Edition

Note: Not all biomes with unique fog colors are shown here.

References

  1. ↑ MC-223566
  2. ↑ MC-279571
  3. ↑ MC-220523, MC-221254
  4. ↑ MC-279051
  5. ↑ MC-279052
  6. ↑ MC-279049, MC-279050
  7. ↑ MC-231123
  8. ↑ "Removed void fog today. Now we don't need to tick air blocks (seriously, WTH?), and honestly, who actually *liked* the void fog?" – @TheMogMiner (Ryan Holtz) on X (formerly Twitter), August 19, 2014
  9. ↑ MC-170879
  10. ↑ MC-3615 (did the other listed fix version change anything?)
  11. ↑ MC-32452
  12. ↑ This type of fog was previously available only for users of Nvidia GPUs, as it depended on the 
    GL_NV_fog_distance
    OpenGL extension.
  13. ↑ MC-214186
  14. ↑ MC-71530
  15. ↑ MC-219893
  16. ↑ MC-213743
  17. ↑ MC-219894

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