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PC port · PC → PC

Horizon (Minecraft Rust Edition, Java 26.3 rewritten in Rust)

An unofficial rewrite of Minecraft: Java Edition 26.3 in Rust, also called Minecraft Rust Edition. It plays vanilla worlds and joins vanilla servers, but Java mods do not run. Needs your own copy.

WorkingEngine rewriteNeeds your own copy[email protected]Updated

You need your own copy of Minecraft: Java Edition. This port only runs with files from a copy you own; there is no download or play button here. No copy? These play in your browser right away, no files needed: BO1 Zombies (vel.gg), GTA 3 Online (quenq III Web), The Simpsons: Hit & Run WASM.

What you need

A Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition. A GPU with Vulkan or OpenGL 3.3 (Linux), Vulkan or DirectX 12 (Windows), or a Mac. The launcher reuses an existing Minecraft install, or downloads 26.3 from Mojang for your account.

Official releases ↗GitHub repository ↗

We do not host any files. Only download from the project's official source.

Every version of Minecraft: Java Edition 2

  1. Horizon (Minecraft Rust Edition, Java 26.3 rewritten in Rust)This page

    WorkingEngine remake

    Runs on Windows x64, Linux x86-64, macOS (Apple silicon; Intel from the next Nightly)Needs files from a copy you own[email protected] · Nov 13, 2026

    Website ↗

  2. Minecraft PSP

    ActiveSource port

    ★ 211v1.9.9 · Sep 25, 2026

    GitHub ↗

We link to each project's own page and host no game files. Version data from project pages, our daily checks and awesome-decomp-games (CC0).

Short answer

Minecraft Rust Edition is the nickname for Horizon, an unofficial rewrite of Minecraft: Java Edition 26.3 in Rust by Ludovic Marie. It works on Windows, Linux and macOS through the free Horizon launcher, and you need your own copy of Java Edition. It is not from Mojang or Microsoft. We have not played it ourselves; this page is based on the project’s own site and repository as of 4 November 2026.

Horizon is a new client and server written from scratch, not a mod and not an emulator. The repository opened on 3 October 2026, and searches for “minecraft rust” jumped in late October. The site reported 251,417 launcher downloads on 4 November 2026, and the repository has about 6,300 stars.

What you need

  • A Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition. The README explains this in its Microsoft account note.
  • Windows x64: a GPU with Vulkan or DirectX 12.
  • Linux x86-64: a GPU with Vulkan or OpenGL 3.3.
  • macOS: Apple silicon now; the README says Intel Macs arrive with the next Nightly.

How to install it

  1. Download the launcher from playhorizon.dev or the launcher releases.
  2. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
  3. Press Play. An existing Minecraft install (official launcher, Prism, MultiMC) is reused. Without one, the launcher downloads 26.3 from Mojang for your account and prepares Horizon’s files from it.

The launcher also updates the game and itself. Nothing from Minecraft is ever stored in the repository, and the project tells contributors never to share prepared files.

What works

The README says all of these work today:

  • The game: vanilla world generation, mobs, villagers, raids, redstone, every command, the HUD and the recipe book, on vanilla saves.
  • Extras: new menus, graphics presets, distant terrain up to 1,024 chunks, controllers, zoom and a minimap. Those that change the vanilla look are off by default.
  • Multiplayer: invite codes, Open to LAN and joining servers, online mode included.
  • Servers: the launcher creates, backs up and updates a server, and horizon-server runs on a VPS without Java.
  • Packs: resource packs, and data packs with functions and world generation.

The project claims 100% parity with vanilla, but that number needs care. In the README’s own words, it means 100% of what its test harnesses compare, not that nothing else differs. The last full audit was dated 13 October 2026.

What does not work yet

  • Java mods: jars do not run, so Fabric and Forge mods are out. Only content mods and native Rust mods work.
  • Known issues listed in the README: skins served over https can show the default skin, pack icons show the unknown-pack texture, and item tooltips lack attribute lines.
  • Android: no official build. See the FAQ above.

The repository had 470 open issues on 4 November 2026, so expect bugs, and back up your worlds first.

  • Horizon is open source under the MIT licence, and the launcher comes from the official site or GitHub. Avoid other download sites using its name.
  • It is not approved by or associated with Mojang or Microsoft, as the README says. Its code is new, but it is checked method by method against vanilla 26.3, and the project says it holds no Minecraft code, assets or data. Minecraft itself is still covered by Mojang’s EULA.
  • Servers may treat a modified client differently, so check a server’s rules before you join with it.

Other Minecraft projects

To play in a browser with nothing to install, see EaglercraftX, which runs the old 1.8.8 version. The Legacy Console Edition decompilation covers the old console versions.

FAQ

What is Minecraft Rust Edition?

It is the nickname for Horizon, an unofficial rewrite of Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 in the Rust programming language. Mojang did not make it, and there is no official Rust Edition of Minecraft.

Do I need to own Minecraft to play Horizon?

Yes. You sign in with a Microsoft account that owns Java Edition. Horizon contains no Minecraft code, assets or data. It builds its resources on your PC from your own copy, and reuses an existing install or downloads 26.3 from Mojang for your account.

Where do I download Horizon?

From playhorizon.dev or the launcher releases in the horizon-rust/horizon repository on GitHub. Those are the only official places. The launcher then installs and updates the game.

Do Java mods, Fabric or Forge work with Horizon?

No. Java mod jars do not run. Horizon supports resource packs, data packs, content mods made of data and assets, and native Rust mods. It can import Modrinth and CurseForge packs, but only carries over the mods it can run.

Can Horizon join normal Minecraft servers?

The README says yes, online-mode servers included. You can also invite friends with a code, open a world to LAN, or host a Horizon server, which needs no Java.

Does Horizon run on Android?

Not officially. The downloads are for Windows, Linux and macOS, and players are still asking for an Android port in the project's issues. We could not confirm reports of it running on Android through other launchers.

Is Horizon really three times faster?

The site's benchmark shows 150 fps against 50 fps on the standard launcher in vanilla 26.3 with no mods, and says results vary with hardware. That is the project's own figure. We have not measured it.

Will my Minecraft worlds work?

The README says Horizon uses vanilla saves and upgrades worlds from 1.8 to 26.2. Back up a world before you open it, since this is a young project with hundreds of open issues.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Mojang Studios / Microsoft or Ludovic Marie (Horizon (Minecraft Rust Edition, Java 26.3 rewritten in Rust)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.

Sources

This page was last updated on Nov 13, 2026. A date after a source is the day we read it. Versions and steps follow the official project; if they differ, the official source wins.

More ports

See every native PC version of a console game in our recompiled games list, browse all PC ports of console games, or go back to the full list of ported games.