ModsFinder

Harder eye of ender

by Abyssal Vanguard

Harder Eye of Ender makes crafting an Eye of Ender far more demanding, so reaching the End takes longer in a new world.

FabricForgeNeoForgeQuiltServer required, client optionalMIT License1.12 – 26.3

What it does

The mod rebalances early progression by replacing the Eye of Ender recipe with a much tougher one that draws on rarer materials from deeper parts of the world. Players are expected to have explored the Overworld, the Nether and beyond before they can craft the eyes needed to locate a stronghold. The change is aimed at players who want the first hours of a survival world to be slower, with the End reached later in the run.

Crafting the eyes requires treasures found in harder-to-reach corners of Minecraft, and a player needs to craft twelve Eyes of Ender to complete the activation of an End portal. Because of that, the mod adds late-game balance to the End progression. It is described for hardcore survival servers and progression-based modpacks, where setting the pace of the run matters.

The mod is server required and client optional. A server must run it so that the recipes apply, while players can add it for a matching client experience. It works on Fabric and Quilt as a mod, and it is also available as a data pack, with compatibility stated for Minecraft 1.21 and newer. Files exist for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, with the latest build 2.1+mod for 26.3 published on 2026-01-12. The license is the MIT License and the code is not open source.

Key features

  1. Tougher Eye of Ender recipe

    The crafting recipe for the Eye of Ender is replaced with one that needs rare materials from deeper exploration.

  2. Later End access

    Stronghold location is gated behind harder crafting, so players reach the End after more of the world is cleared.

  3. Twelve eyes for the portal

    The End portal needs twelve Eyes of Ender, which sets a higher resource cost for each entry into the End.

  4. Data pack option

    The same balance can be loaded as a data pack, so servers without a mod loader can apply it.

Compatibility

Latest build for each game version and loader.

26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
26.32.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
26.22.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
26.1.22.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
26.1.12.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
26.12.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.x12 of 12 versions with builds
1.21.112.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.102.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.92.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.82.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.72.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.62.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.52.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.42.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.32.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.22.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.21.12.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.212.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod2.1+mod
1.20.x7 of 7 versions with builds
1.19.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.18.x3 of 3 versions with builds
1.17.x2 of 2 versions with builds
1.16.x6 of 6 versions with builds
1.15.x3 of 3 versions with builds
1.14.x5 of 5 versions with builds
ReleaseBetaAlphaNot available

Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.

6 older game versions (1.12 – 1.13.2) not shown. All files on Modrinth

How it compares

Full comparison

Easy Ender Eye (EEE) takes the opposite approach, making the Eye of Ender easier to craft, and it is released under the MIT License on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.21.1 – 1.21.11. Ender eye Plus is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 and covers 1.21.4 – 1.21.11 on the same four loaders. Progressive Ender Eyes spans a wider range, 1.13 – 26.1.2, and is also server required with client optional.

ModLoadersGame versionsEnvironmentUpdated
Harder eye of enderFabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt1.12 – 26.3Server required, client optional2026-01-12
Easy Ender Eye (EEE)Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt1.21.1 – 1.21.11Server required, client optional2026-07-24
Ender eye PlusFabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt1.21.4 – 1.21.11Server required, client optional2025-12-15
Progressive Ender EyesFabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt1.13 – 26.1.2Server required, client optional2026-01-27

Questions

Does Harder Eye of Ender need to be on the client?

No. The server must run it, while players may leave it out.

Which loader should a server use?

The mod is published for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt. Each loader has a file for 26.3, and the data pack version is available for servers without a mod loader.

Do the Eye of Ender changes need a version other than 26.3?

The mod lists 54 release versions 1.12 – 26.3, so an older or newer game version can be checked against the all-versions list before installation.

In the catalog

Harder eye of ender is one of 19,031 Adventure mods on ModsFinder, and one of 10,052 Adventure mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.

Adventure mods19,031Fabric modsMods for 26.38,071

More from Abyssal Vanguard

All projects
Villagers Drop Eggs1.21 – 26.2Infinite Stronghold1.21 – 26.2Linear Tools1.21.9 – 26.2Linear Armor1.21.9 – 26.2No More Crafting Table1.21 – 26.2Linear Equipment1.21.9 – 26.2

Similar mods

Sound Physics Remastered1.19 – 26.3Advancement Plaques1.12.2 – 26.3JourneyMap1.7.10 – 26.3Exposure1.19.2 – 1.21.1Boat Item View1.16.5 – 26.3Shoulder Surfing Reloaded1.7.10 – 26.3

What the author says

Tired of reaching the End in your first few hours? Harder Eye of Ender rebalances progression by giving the Eye of Ender a much tougher recipe — reserved for players who have truly conquered the overworld, Nether, and beyond. The result: 12 Eyes of Ender, crafted only by true adventurers.
Abyssal Vanguard, on the Modrinth page

Official listing

Owner
Abyssal Vanguard
Published
2025-10-09
Updated on Modrinth
2026-01-12
Facts verified
2026-10-15

Tags

AdventureGame mechanics
Open on ModrinthCompare