On 12 July 2026 the Via team shipped ViaVersion 5.11.0 and ViaBackwards 5.11.0 together — and this release carries far more than routine maintenance. The two plugins are the standard pairing whenever your server should welcome players on different Minecraft versions: ViaVersion lets newer clients join your server, ViaBackwards additionally opens it to older clients. Both cover the version range up to Minecraft 26.2 and run on Paper, Folia, Velocity and Fabric.
What is new in ViaVersion 5.11.0
The headline item from the official changelog: chunk reading and writing — the bulk of Via's packet handling — is now up to 90% faster, backed by many smaller memory and performance improvements. On busy servers with mixed client versions this can take real load off the machine.
On top of that comes a long fix list across version transitions, including: item hashing for damage_resistant (26.1+), the missing arm-swing animation when placing sugar cane (1.21.11→26.1), ambient light in custom dimensions, door sounds from level events (1.19.1→1.19.3), looms under 1.18.2→1.19, the wrong Pigstep music disc sound (1.17.1→1.18), and client crashes on very old servers (<1.14) with 26.2 clients. There is also a new option, multi-reddust-color-fix, for redstone particle colour conversion in 1.12→1.13 — disabled by default.
What is new in ViaBackwards 5.11.0
The ViaBackwards changelog introduces a structural change: names of new items and entities are now shown to older clients as translatable components instead of fixed strings — meaning they can be customised via resource packs. In addition, item handling on 1.21.5+ servers now skips the expensive transformation path between 1.20.4 and 1.21.5; the Via team explicitly recommends that servers on 1.20.5–1.21.4 move to 1.21.5 or higher. Fixes include multi-line text displays, disconnects caused by new environment attributes in custom dimensions, and invisible beds in the 26.2→26.1 transition.
Server compatibility
| Plugin | Job | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| ViaVersion 5.11.0 | Newer clients on your server | Paper, Folia, Velocity, Fabric |
| ViaBackwards 5.11.0 | Additionally allow older clients (requires ViaVersion) | Paper, Folia, Velocity, Fabric |
Bedrock crossplay runs independently via Geyser and Floodgate — pre-installed on every Minecraft server at game-serverhosting.
How to update your server at game-serverhosting
- Take a backup via the Backups tab in the server panel.
- Download both new jars from the Modrinth version pages (ViaVersion, ViaBackwards).
- Swap the old files in
plugins/for the new ones via the file manager — always update both together so the versions stay in sync. - Restart — done. Your existing configuration remains valid; the new reddust option is deliberately off by default.
FAQ
Do I need both plugins?
ViaVersion works on its own (newer clients). ViaBackwards requires ViaVersion and adds the opposite direction (older clients). For maximum version freedom, install both.
Will I actually notice the performance gain?
Depends on your server: the more players on divergent versions, the more packets Via translates — and exactly that path was heavily optimised. Mixed-version servers benefit most.
I am on 1.21.2 — does the 1.21.5 recommendation apply to me?
Yes. The Via team recommends servers between 1.20.5 and 1.21.4 move to 1.21.5 or higher because item handling runs far more efficiently there. Use the in-panel version switch to make the jump.
Do I have to touch my config?
No. All changes are backwards compatible; the only new option (multi-reddust-color-fix) ships disabled.
Does the update get along with Geyser?
Yes. Geyser serves Bedrock clients, Via translates Java versions — they work side by side, as they do on our servers by default.