Universal Beacons
by ActuallyBlue
Universal Beacons lets server owners change the effects, range, duration and frequency of beacons beyond vanilla values, using a datapack.
What it does
Beacons can be customized on top of the vanilla effects. The mod is a lightweight hidden datapack that recreates the beacon system and can apply a group of effects to mobs, with custom duration, range, frequency, particle visibility and block obstruction settings. Only peaceful mobs are affected in the default setup, and the modified values are what changes that behavior.
A function named blue:be/help lists every setting alongside its information, and blue:be/quick find checks blocks in front of players up to 15 seconds long to detect beacons placed before the datapack was loaded, which makes it quick to add older beacons. Because Minecraft's limits and a server's hardware bound what a datapack can scan, detection is handled automatically in batches.
The mod is published as a data pack and for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, with files covering 1.20.2 – 26.2 across 21 release versions. Only the server must run it, while players can join without it. It is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license and is not open source, though its source code is public.
Key features
Custom beacon effects
Beacon effects can be set to values beyond the vanilla ones, including which mobs receive them.
Adjustable range and frequency
Range, duration and how often an effect is applied can each be modified independently.
Visible or hidden particles
Particle visibility and block obstruction are configurable, so the beacon's appearance can be tuned.
Beacon detection command
A function scans the blocks in front of a player to find older beacons and register them with the system.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x4 of 4 versions with builds
1.21.x12 of 12 versions with builds
1.20.x5 of 5 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Custom beacon setups
Server owners can build beacons where only players are affected, or with twice the vanilla range.
Who it’s for: Server owners and map makers who want to change how beacons work without a Java mod, and who can load a datapack on their world.
How it compares
Underground Beacons is server-side only, not open source, and published under All rights reserved for 1.20.1 – 26.3. The Redstone Beacon Base [PurpurPack] is needed on the server, with the client optional, is open source under the MIT License and covers 1.20 – 26.2, as a beacon base rather than a system for changing effects. Each PurpurPack base shares that environment and license.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Beacons | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20.2 – 26.2 | Server required, client optional | 2025-10-03 |
| Underground Beacons | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20.1 – 26.3 | Server-side only | 2026-10-01 |
| Redstone Beacon Base [PurpurPack] | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20 – 26.2 | Server required, client optional | 2026-06-24 |
Questions
Does Universal Beacons need to be installed on the client?
Can older beacons be added to the new system?
Which game versions does Universal Beacons support?
In the catalog
Universal Beacons is one of 29,952 Game mechanics mods on ModsFinder, and one of 19,630 Game mechanics mods for Fabric. 13,894 mods support Minecraft 26.2.
More from ActuallyBlue
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What the author says
Lightweight and hidden datapack that practically recreates the beacon's exact system, but able to apply effects to any group of mobs with custom duration(s), range(s), frequency, particle visibility, block obstruction, etc. Additionally lets more copper blocks be used as the base, and this datapack only creates a…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/universal-beacons
- Owner
- ActuallyBlue
- Published
- 2024-01-02
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-10-03
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15