Minecraft players have been pining for the Update 1.9 or Combat Update, and it became available to players at the end of last month.  The logical question is after indulging in all the cool new features of Update 1.9, what can be expected for Update 1.10, and when is the release date.  

According to PCMag, the combat mechanics have been updated for fighting more interesting, not to mention some map-making option.  That word comes straight from Mojang themselves, and there are other options like players holding items in both hands, and a "cool down" delay after attacking.  Then there are some new things like Purpur, End Rock, grass path, dragon head blocks, igloos, skeleton riders, as well as some new tipped and spectral arrows.  Oh, there are also some new sound effects and sound-effect subtitles. 

MC Modder states that the most noticeable change is an addition of an offhand slot that shows up right next to the armor slots.  Putting an in the offhand slot will make it show up in the non-dominant hand to be reusable with the right mouse click.

So it is good to have something to hold a torch with, and it is also good for holding a shield for some extra protection.  The Combat Update also has some changes to armor protection levels and overall effectiveness of tools as weapons. 

We mentioned earlier the special arrows, but there are some spectral arrows that "mark" the struck entity of the mob/player to give them an outline, and this can be seen through walls even when the entity is invisible. 

Then there are the new enchantments like Frost Walker that allows the player to walk on water by freezing it in a radius of 3 blocks.  Granted, this only lasts a couple of seconds, and can't be used to farm ice.  Then there is Mending, to use the XP to repair an enchanted with it. 

Then there is the boss dimension of "The End" that was completely reworked.  Several players have complained that the fight with the Ender Dragon is too easy, but now there are attacks like Dragon Breath, new behaviors, and it is possible to respawn the Ender Dragon to repeat the fight. 

After the Ender Dragon is beaten, the player can access these islands at the outer End.  There is a plant there known as the chorus plant, and from it, you can develop the Chorus fruit to be made into a flower to eat or teleport like an Enderman.  There is also a randomly generated dungeon where the player can find loot and a new type of enemy. 

Then there is this stuff known as Elytra, which activates by double jumping, and the player can glide.  It's not quite flying, but it is the next best thing. 

As for the Update 1.10, Parent Herald states that it is being worked on.  So what will be new to it?  Try a new different mob, added to the 40 different mobs of creepers and skeletons that can be found within the game. 

As for when Update 1.10 will come out, that is a big mystery, as Update 1.9 was delayed quite a bit.  Considering the gap between updates 1.8 and 1.9 was about one year, it is possible that players might have to wait a year for update 1.10.