Understanding the Ray Tracing Mob in Minecraft's April Fools' Snapshot

Key Takeaways

Point	Details
Ray Tracing is exclusive	Ray Tracing is exclusive to the April Fools' snapshot 23w13a_or_b and cannot be found in stable releases.
Activate the vote `minecraft	ray_tracing` to allow it into your world; it spawns near the world spawnpoint regardless of spawn radius.
Throwing a splash bottle	Throwing a splash bottle of Ray Tracing disguises any mob as Ray Tracing, and hostile mobs will target the disguised entity.
Ray Tracing sends random	Ray Tracing sends random chat messages at spawn (4-30 seconds), idly (30-180 seconds), and upon death.
In French mode, Ray	In French mode, Ray Tracing only says "Omelette du fromage" and wears French clothing.
You cannot use /summon	You cannot use /summon to create Ray Tracing; it only appears through the voting mechanic.

The Ray Tracing mob is one of the stranger additions to Minecraft's long history of April Fools' jokes. Introduced in the 23w13a_or_b snapshot (also known as the Vote Update), this humanoid entity isn't a graphical feature — it's a mob that wanders your world, sends random chat messages, and turns other mobs into copies of itself. If you missed that snapshot or never voted it into your world, here's everything you need to know about finding, using, and understanding Ray Tracing.

What Is the Ray Tracing Mob and Where Does It Come From?

Ray Tracing is a humanoid mob exclusive to the April Fools' snapshot 23w13a_or_b that spawns within the Overworld.

Ray Tracing is a humanoid mob exclusive to the April Fools' snapshot 23w13a_or_b that spawns within the Overworld.

It's not part of any stable release, and Mojang does not maintain bug reports for it. Issues relating to the mob are closed as "Invalid" because it's a joke feature.

How to Spawn Ray Tracing in Your World

You can't summon Ray Tracing with a command. It is impossible to summon Ray Tracing with the /summon command.

It is impossible to summon Ray Tracing with the /summon command.

Instead, you need to use the voting mechanic introduced in the snapshot. Activate the vote minecraft:ray_tracing, and after a few seconds you'll see the message "Ray Tracing has joined the game" in chat. The mob then spawns at a random position around the world spawnpoint, regardless of the gamerule spawnRadius.

Ray Tracing can be allowed into a world by activating the vote minecraft:ray_tracing and waiting for the message "Ray Tracing has joined the game". Ray Tracing spawns at a random position around the world spawnpoint, regardless of the gamerule spawnRadius.

To remove it, repeal the same vote — the chat will announce "Ray Tracing has left the game" and the entity will despawn.

Unique Behaviors and Chat Messages

Once in your world, Ray Tracing wanders randomly and chats with you. When the entity has initially spawned, Ray Tracing sends a spawn message after between 4 and 30 seconds. Idle messages are sent in intervals of between 30 and 180 seconds.

When the entity has initially spawned, Ray Tracing sends a spawn message after between 4 and 30 seconds. Idle messages are sent in intervals of between 30 and 180 seconds.

It also sends a message upon death. The exact text varies; the snapshot includes a set of spawn, idle, death, and disable messages. If you throw a splash bottle of Ray Tracing at any mob, that mob becomes disguised as Ray Tracing. Hostile mobs will target the disguised entity, and if a hostile mob itself was disguised, it attacks whoever attacked it.

French Mode and Other Quirks

Enable French mode (via the game's language setting), and Ray Tracing's behavior changes. In French mode, Ray Tracing can only say "Omelette du fromage".

In French mode, Ray Tracing can only say "Omelette du fromage".

This is a reference to the Cartoon Network show Dexter's Laboratory.

This is a reference to the Cartoon Network show Dexter's Laboratory.

If French Mode is on, Ray Tracing also has the clothing of French Mode.

If French Mode is on, Ray Tracing also has the clothing of French Mode.

Other oddities: leashing Ray Tracing makes the lead invisible, and the mob uses the Friendly Creatures sound category for its sounds.

Quick Reference Table: Ray Tracing Behavior

Feature	Details
Edition	Java Edition snapshot 23w13a_or_b only
Spawn method	Activate vote minecraft:ray_tracing
Spawn location	Random position near world spawn (ignores spawnRadius)
Despawn	Repeal the vote
/summon support	No
Disguise mechanic	Splash bottle of Ray Tracing disguises any mob
Chat messages	Spawn (4-30s), idle (30-180s), death
French mode	Only says "Omelette du fromage"; wears French clothing
Lead visibility	Invisible when attached
Bug tracker status	Issues closed as Invalid

If you're exploring other April Fools' snapshots, check out our guide to Minecraft April Fools' Snapshots: 23w13a_or_b & 25w14craftmine for a broader look at the joke features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get Ray Tracing in the current stable version of Minecraft?

No. Ray Tracing is exclusive to the 23w13a_or_b April Fools' snapshot and is not available in any stable release.

Why can't I use /summon to create Ray Tracing?

The snapshot deliberately disables /summon for this mob. The only way to spawn it is by activating the minecraft:ray_tracing vote.

Does Ray Tracing have any combat use?

Indirectly. Throwing a splash bottle of Ray Tracing at a hostile mob disguises it, and that disguised mob will attack anything that attacks it. You can use this to turn enemies against each other, but it's a novelty rather than a reliable strategy.

What happens if I leash Ray Tracing?

The lead becomes invisible while attached, but the mob can still be led around.

Are there any known bugs with Ray Tracing?

Mojang does not maintain bug reports for April Fools' features. Any issues reported to the tracker are closed as "Invalid."