Client-side rendering mod for Minecraft: Java Edition
Entity Culling traces what is actually visible from your camera and stops the game from drawing entities and block entities hidden behind solid blocks. Busy bases, farms and storage rooms get lighter to render.
Entity Culling is a performance mod for Minecraft: Java Edition, created by tr7zw. It works out which entities and block entities are hidden from your view and skips rendering them.
Vanilla Minecraft already avoids drawing chunks you cannot see, but individual mobs, item frames, chests and signs behind a wall can still go through the rendering process. Entity Culling adds a visibility check for these objects. The check runs on a separate thread, so the main game loop does not wait for it.
Nothing changes on the server side. Mobs keep moving, farms keep running, and other players see exactly what they saw before. The only difference is what your own client spends time drawing.
One core idea, a visibility check, with a handful of parts built around it.
For nearby entities and block entities, the mod traces from your camera through the surrounding blocks. If every path is blocked by solid geometry, that object is marked hidden and skipped when the frame is drawn.
Because tracing runs asynchronously, the main render thread is not held up waiting for results.
Animals in pens, mobs in farms and villagers in closed rooms are not drawn while walls block them.
Chests, signs, banners and similar blocks with special rendering are covered, which matters in storage-heavy bases.
Install it on your game. Servers do not need it, and gameplay is not changed.
Objects whose visuals reach beyond their block, such as beacons, can be excluded from culling in the config.
Builds have been published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge. Which loaders exist varies by game version.
In versions that include the option, hidden entities can also skip some client-side ticking work. Check your config file to see whether your build has it.
Four stations from file to game. The detailed procedure is in the setup section below.
Get a build for your exact Minecraft version and loader, or the source archive if you plan to build it.
Set up Fabric, Forge or NeoForge, launch once, and place the jar in the mods folder.
Optional. Edit the config file created on first launch, for example to whitelist objects.
Start the loader profile and play. Hidden entities are skipped in the background.
Run the Fabric, Forge or NeoForge installer for your game version. Each creates its own launcher profile.
Start the new profile once and close the game. The loader creates .minecraft/mods, or a
mods folder inside your launcher's instance directory.
Some builds declare dependencies, for example Fabric API on Fabric. Add them to the same folder.
Place the jar in the mods folder. Do not unzip it. A ZIP of the repository is source code and needs to be built first.
Start the game with the loader profile. The config file appears in config, typically as
entityculling.json.
Loader and version support differs between releases. Rows marked "Check file list" mean you should confirm a build for your exact setup before installing.
| Platform or version | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minecraft: Java Edition | Supported | The mod is built for Java Edition clients. |
| Fabric | Builds published | Some builds list Fabric API as a dependency. |
| Forge | Builds published | Common in 1.20.1 modpacks. |
| NeoForge | Newer versions | Available for more recent game versions. |
| 1.21.10 and 1.21.11 | Check file list | Recent 1.21 releases are the active focus. Use a file that names your exact version. |
| 1.20.1 | Builds published | Pick the build for your loader. |
| 1.12.2 and 1.7.10 | Not confirmed here | Verify in the project's own listings. See the older versions guide. |
| Bedrock Edition and MCPE | Not supported | Java mods cannot run on Bedrock. See the MCPE explainer. |
| Server install | Not required | Client-side mod. Installing it on a server is unnecessary. |
Entity Culling is actively maintained, and new builds follow Minecraft updates. Version numbers and dates change too often to list reliably here, so this site does not publish them. The project's release listings are the source of truth.
Walls of chests, barrels with signs and labeled item frames are block entities. Most are out of sight at any moment, so there is plenty to skip.
Enclosed farms keep many entities in one place. From outside the building, they are hidden, and the mod stops drawing them.
Tech packs add machines and blocks with custom rendering. Culling hidden ones can reduce load in dense bases.
Spawn areas and shops can be full of armor stands, item frames and signs behind walls. The mod works on your client even if the server does not have it.
On laptops and older PCs, skipping wasted rendering work can matter more. Results depend on the scene, so measure in your own world.
This button downloads the main branch of the Entity Culling repository from GitHub as a ZIP archive. It contains the mod's source code, which you can build with the project's Gradle setup.
Want a ready-to-use jar instead? Compiled builds for specific game versions are published in the project's release listings. The installation guide covers both routes.
Match what you see to the likely cause. The full troubleshooting guide goes into more detail.
Build for another game version or loader
Replace it with the build that names your exact version and loader.
Wrong mods folder or profile
Open the mods folder of the profile you actually launch.
Downloaded the source archive
Build it with Gradle, or use a compiled release instead.
Tracing runs asynchronously
Brief pop-in is expected. Tracing options vary by version.
Visuals extend past the block
Add the block or entity ID to the whitelist in the config.
Few hidden entities in the scene
Test in a dense area with identical settings.
Setup and version help on one side, fixes and comparisons on the other. See all guides
Twenty answers in two tool groups. Pick a group, then open a question.
Yes. It changes what your own game client renders, so it goes in the mods folder of your game installation. A server does not need it installed for you to use it, and it does not change what other players see.
The project has published builds for Fabric and Forge, and for NeoForge on newer game versions. Availability differs from one Minecraft version to the next, so check that a build exists for your exact loader and game version before installing.
Recent 1.21 releases are where active development happens, but this site does not track individual files. Open the project's file list, filter by 1.21.10 or 1.21.11 and your loader, and only use a jar that names that exact version.
No. Entity Culling is a Java Edition mod built for Java mod loaders. Bedrock Edition, including the mobile version often called MCPE, uses a different codebase and add-on system, so Java jars cannot run there.
This site cannot confirm builds for those older versions. Check the project's own file listings before assuming support, and be wary of files for old versions offered by unrelated websites.
It downloads a ZIP of the main branch of the tr7zw/EntityCulling GitHub repository. That is source code, not a ready-to-use mod jar. You would need to build it with the project's Gradle setup, or use a compiled release built for your game version instead.
Install the matching mod loader first, launch the game once so the folders are created, close it, and place the jar in the mods folder of that game profile. Then start the game using the loader's profile.
That depends on the loader and version. Some builds declare dependencies, for example Fabric API on Fabric. The mod's metadata and the loader's error screen will tell you if something is missing.
After the first launch with the mod installed, a config file is created in the config folder of your game directory, typically named entityculling.json. Close the game before editing it.
Read the license file in the repository and the terms on the platform you distribute through. Redistribution rules are set by the author, not by this site.
It checks whether entities and block entities are actually visible from your camera. Anything fully hidden behind solid blocks is skipped during rendering, which saves work the game would otherwise spend drawing objects you cannot see.
No. The benefit depends on the scene. Areas with many hidden mobs, chests, signs or banners tend to gain the most, while open landscapes with few entities may show little difference.
No. Culling affects what your client draws. The server or integrated server still simulates mobs, items and machines as usual, so farms keep working.
Block entities are blocks that carry extra data or special rendering, such as chests, signs, banners, beds and beacons. Bases with lots of storage often have many of them, which is where culling can help.
Visibility tracing runs asynchronously, so the result can trail the camera by a very short time. Brief pop-in at the edge of a wall during fast turns is a known side effect of this approach.
They are commonly run together. Sodium focuses on chunk and terrain rendering, while Entity Culling focuses on entities and block entities. Always pair builds made for the same game version and loader.
Entity Culling hides entities and block entities that are not visible. More Culling is a separate project by a different developer that focuses on other culling, such as block faces and leaves. Check each mod's own notes before combining them.
Some block entities render visuals far beyond their own block. The config includes a whitelist so objects like these can be excluded from culling and stay visible.
Rendering-only performance mods are widely used, but each server sets its own rules. Read the server's mod policy if you are unsure.
Remove the mod temporarily to confirm it is the cause, then check for conflicts with other rendering mods. If the problem stays reproducible, report it on the project's GitHub issue tracker with your versions and mod list.