Netherlock'd
by Dyrohc
Netherlock'd keeps the Nether sealed until a player defeats the Wither, which the mod makes available through a ritual.
What it does
The mod places a sealed gateway in front of the Nether portal, so the Nether cannot be entered until the gate is opened. The gate opens after the player defeats the Wither, a boss that the mod lets players summon through a ritual instead of spawning instantly. Players can also consume a Nether Star to open the Nether directly, and the ritual can be set to a sequence rather than an instant summon.
The mod fits survival worlds where players want the Wither to gate progression. It also covers modpacks that seal the Nether by other means and offers a different way to do it. Two new advancements, Beginning and Withering Heights, track the ritual and the boss fight, while the Withering Heights advancement is granted by summoning the Wither through the ritual. The mod adds some visual effects around the gateway and the ritual, and it includes light configuration options and simple commands that can lock or open the Nether at once.
Netherlock'd is built for NeoForge and targets 1.21.1 only, with the 1.0.0 file dated 2026-07-13 as its latest release. The server and every player need the mod installed. The code is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 and is not open source. The mod was first published on 2026-07-08.
Key features
Sealed Nether gateway
The Nether portal is sealed and opens only after the gate condition is met.
Wither ritual
A ritual summons the Wither, and it can be set to proceed in a sequence instead of spawning instantly.
Nether Star access
Consuming a Nether Star opens the Nether for the player without the boss fight.
Lock and open commands
A simple command locks or opens the Nether immediately, and gamerules adjust the behavior.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Progression gating
Server owners and modpack authors can hold the Nether back until a boss is defeated.
Peaceful play
On Peaceful difficulty the Nether opens automatically.
How it compares
Ars Dragongate is a NeoForge mod for 1.21.1 that is client and server and under All rights reserved, not open source. Ways Of The Wither is also NeoForge for 1.21.1 under All rights reserved, with the same client and server environment. Deep nether is client and server, released under the MIT License, and built for 1.21.4 instead of 1.21.1.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlock'd | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-07-13 |
| Ars Dragongate | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-07-05 |
| Ways Of The Wither | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-08-13 |
| Deep nether | NeoForge | 1.21.4 | Client and server | 2025-06-03 |
Questions
Does Netherlock'd need another mod to run?
Does the server need Netherlock'd?
Can the Nether be opened without fighting the Wither?
In the catalog
Netherlock'd is one of 11,058 Mobs mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,974 Mobs mods for NeoForge. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
More from Dyrohc
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What the author says
I always felt The Wither was too cool to be optional and forgotten, I also always felt The Nether was too easy to access for how much it offers. So why not kill two birds with one stone while adding some cool visuals? So I did! I was surprised I couldn't find a mod that already did this, lots of modpacks seal the…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/netherlocked
- Owner
- Dyrohc
- Published
- 2026-07-08
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-07-13
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15