In Minecraft Java Edition 26.3-snapshot-7, the spear's thrust (stab) and charge attacks do not apply the Knockback enchantment effect when hitting players. The enchantment works correctly against non-player mobs, but has no effect on players whatsoever. This is a severe issue that makes the Knockback enchantment on a spear completely useless in PvP combat.
Steps to Reproduce:
Launch Minecraft Java Edition 26.3-snapshot-7.
Obtain a spear enchanted with Knockback (any level).
Have another player stand nearby within attack range.
Attack the other player using a spear thrust (left-click) or a charged spear attack.
Observe that the Knockback enchantment has no effect on the player.
Attack a non-player mob (e.g., zombie, cow) with the same spear and observe that the Knockback effect is applied normally.
Expected Behavior:
Spear attacks with the Knockback enchantment should knock back all targets, including players, just as other Knockback-enchanted weapons like swords and axes do.
Observed Behavior:
Spear attacks with Knockback fail to knock back players, while working correctly against non-player mobs.
Impact:
Very high — this bug completely disables the Knockback enchantment for spears in player-versus-player scenarios, severely undermining the spear's combat viability in multiplayer.
This issue has been reviewed by our team.
Please add new, relevant information if it helps us understand or reproduce the issue. To show that you’re affected, use the vote feature rather than commenting.
If a fix is implemented, it will be listed in our official changelogs.
For major outages or urgent assistance, visit the Minecraft Help Center.