Dronebox
Dronebox, from StarbornStudios, adds drones to Fabric worlds for Minecraft 1.21.8, built during the Modfest modding event.
What it does
The mod adds drones that can be configured with accessories. Players can attach lamps, fireworks boosters and googly eyes to change how a drone looks and behaves, and the author describes the accessory system as a way to revamp drones in play.
Drones can be steered with more precision, and a drone can be set to move toward a chosen location. Lua pendrives add scripting: a Lua program on a pendrive can control a drone in its own way. The drones themselves need other items to be controlled, and the author notes that the mod was made as part of Modfest, where the team decided to build a drone-based mod.
Dronebox is published for Fabric only, with a single game version: 1.21.8. The latest Fabric file is 1.1.3+fabric-1.21.8 for 1.21.8, released on 2025-09-02. It runs on the client and the server, so both need it. The code is public, and the mod is released under All rights reserved, so it is not open source.
Key features
Drone accessories
Lamps, fireworks boosters and googly eyes can be added to drones, changing their appearance and what they can do.
Targeted movement
A drone can be given a specific location to move toward, allowing more exact control than simple manual steering.
Lua pendrives
Pendrives carry Lua programs that control drones, so a drone can follow custom logic written by the player.
Modfest origin
The drones were created during the Modfest modding event, where the team decided to go with a drone-based mod.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Scripted drones
Players who enjoy programming can write Lua for pendrives and use it to direct drones in ways the default controls do not cover.
Drone builds with accessories
Players can combine accessories on a drone to build different drone setups for play.
Who it’s for: Players on Fabric 1.21.8 who want drones with accessories and scripting, and server owners who run the mod, which needs to be installed on both the client and the server.
How it compares
Buddy Drones is a Fabric and NeoForge mod for 1.21.1, released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license and not open source. Lifelike is a Fabric mod for 1.21.8 under a custom license, also not open source. Both share the client and server environment with Dronebox, but Dronebox is the one built around accessories and Lua pendrives.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dronebox | Fabric | 1.21.8 | Client and server | 2025-09-02 |
| Buddy Drones | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2025-10-20 |
| Lifelike | Fabric | 1.21.8 | Client and server | 2025-08-28 |
Questions
Which loader does Dronebox use?
Does a server need Dronebox installed?
Do drones work without other items?
Can the Dronebox source code be read?
In the catalog
Dronebox is one of 8,499 Technology mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,201 Technology mods for Fabric. 17,695 mods support Minecraft 1.21.8.
Similar mods
What the author says
Dronebox is a mod that adds drones for the modding event Modfest: Toybox Lamps, fireworks as boosters, googly eyes and even more amazing accessories you can find while playing the mod
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/dronebox
- Owner
- StarbornStudios
- Published
- 2025-08-02
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-09-02
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15