Beacon - Minecraft Guide - IGN (2024)

Beacons are meant to be built late in-game in Minecraft. Not only do they show off that you’re a seasoned Minecraft player, but they also help you out too. So if you’re looking for the recipe on how to make a Beacon, how to activate one, and what they do, we have you covered in our Beacon Guide below.

Looking for something more specific? Be sure to click these links to jump ahead.

• What is a Beacon and What Does It Do in Minecraft
• How to Make a Beacon
• How to Activate a Beacon
• How to Change the Beacon Color

What is a Beacon and What Does It Do in Minecraft

Just like building a Nether Portal when crafting a beacon, you have to set it up in a certain way or it’ll do you no good. When built properly you’ll know because you’ll be able to give yourself and every player in the radius a buff, plus you’ll see a light shooting into the sky.

How to Make a Beacon

Beacons are usually meant to be built once you’re near the end game of Minecraft. Just like anything in Minecraft you’re going to need a few other blocks to craft a beacon. Listed below are all the items you will need to craft a Beacon, as well as a screenshot demonstrating the recipe placement.

• Glass: 5
• Nether Star: 1
• Obsidian: 3

How to Activate a Beacon

Now that you’ve built a beacon, you’re going to need to activate it. To activate the beacon you’re going to need to build a Pyramid, and the higher you build it the more powers you’ll be able to have within a certain radius. Pyramids can only be made of ore blocks, so you can use Iron, Gold, Emeralds, Diamonds, or Netherite blocks to make it. You can mix and match any of these blocks to make the Pyramid if you want to. The beacon will only work if it has a clear path to the sky, so don’t build it indoors or it won’t work. Listed below are all the dimensions for a Pyramid and what powers they unlock depending on the height.

Level 1

To build a level one Pyramid you’ll need to make a 9x9 radius. After making it, put the beacon in the center of the 9x9 and you’ll see a light shooting straight into the sky. Next, you’ll want to go to the beacon and select a power. Listed below are all the powers you can choose from.

• Speed 1
• Haste 1.

To activate the powers, you're going to need to sacrifice either an Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Netherite Ingot, Diamond, or a Emerald. A level one Pyramid will have a radius of 20 blocks and if you leave the radius it’ll last for 11 seconds.

Level 2

To build a level two Pyramid you’ll need to make a 9x9 radius as the base and another level that’s a 7x7. After making the second level, put the beacon in the middle and you’ll see a light shooting straight into the sky. Next, you’ll want to go to the beacon and select a power. Listed below are all the powers you can choose from.

• Speed 1
• Haste 1
• Resistance 1
• Jump Boost 1

To activate the powers, you're going to need to sacrifice either an Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Netherite Ingot, Diamond, or a Emerald. A level two Pyramid will have a 30 block radius and last for 13 seconds if you leave its zone.

Level 3

To build a level three Pyramid you’ll need to make a 9x9 radius as the base, another level that’s a 7x7, and another level that's a 5x5. After making the third level, put the beacon in the middle and you’ll see a light shooting straight into the sky. Next, you’ll want to go to the beacon and select a power. Listed below are all the powers you can choose from.

• Speed 1
• Haste 1
• Resistance 1
• Jump Boost 1
• Strength 1

To activate the powers, you're going to need to sacrifice either an Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Netherite Ingot, Diamond, or a Emerald. A level three Pyramid will have a 40 block radius and last for 15 seconds if you leave its zone.

Level 4

To build a level three Pyramid you’ll need to make a 9x9 radius as the base, another level that’s a 7x7; another level that's a 5x5, and one more that's a 3x3. After making the third level, put the beacon in the middle and you’ll see a light shooting straight into the sky. Next, you’ll want to go to the beacon and select a power. Listed below are all the powers you can choose from.

• Speed 1
• Haste 1
• Resistance 1
• Jump Boost 1
• Strength 1

You’ll also have a secondary power of Regeneration 1. To activate the powers, you're going to need to sacrifice either an Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Netherite Ingot, Diamond, or a Emerald. A level four Pyramid will have a 50 block radius and last for 17 seconds if you leave its zone.

If you happen to have another beacon and a level four Pyramid already built, you can stack them too. All you need to do is place nine more blocks on the first level, seven on the second level, five more on the third, and three more on top.

How to Change the Beacon Color

If you’re not a fan of the light color shooting up in the sky don’t worry because you can change it. Changing the light color is a simple process too. All you need to do is get any stained glass and place it on top of the beacon.

It’ll change the beam to whatever color the glass is. You can also mix and match colors too by stacking different stained glasses on top too.