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What Light Level do Mobs spawn at in Minecraft?

No need to spam those torches... most of the time.

The light level in Minecraft determines the spawn rate of mobs like creepers, spiders, etc., and is also essential in protecting your base and farming exp. In this guide, I'll discuss the light level required for mobs to spawn in Minecraft.

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Minecraft Light Level Mob spawn - What you need to know

Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

The photo above shows the light level a single torch provides, which is around 13 blocks from the torch. The green numbers/outline indicate the area receives light from the torch. The farther you go from the green range or the light source (torch in this case), the more the light level decreases.

On the other hand, the area with 0 light levels indicates that hostile mobs will spawn on those blocks. With this information, you'll be able to prepare yourself and your base with adequate lighting instead of spamming torches, unlike before.

Related: 20 Best Texture Packs for Minecraft

Mob Spawners spawn rate in Minecraft

On the flip side, Mob Spawners now require a Light Level of 11 or lower to work. This means the player must create a light level of at least 12 to deactivate them. The best way to do this is by placing torches directly around or onto the spawner. A normal torch gives off a light level of 14.

Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

In the photo above, you can see mobs are not spawning due to the spawner having torches on all sides and on top. Destroying all torches on the spawner will instantly spawn a massive horde of zombies. Using this trick will allow you to set up an XP farm room with endlessly spawning mobs, which is one of the best ways to farm XP in Minecraft.

For more guides on Minecraft, check out Best Y Level for Diamonds in Minecraft on Pro Game Guides.


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Radiant G
Radiant G! is a game journalist, indie game developer, artist, and writer who currently works freelance in the games industry full-time. He is Pro Game Guides' beat writer for Apex Legends coverage, and also runs his own Apex Legends team called Verve. He is also fiercely committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in the games industry, and helms Diverse Gaming Coalition.
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Jay Vijuan
Weekend Senior Staff Writer
Jay is a Weekend Senior Staff Writer for PGG and has been playing video games for over two decades now. He is a Mechanical Engineering graduate who transitioned into writing as he realized that his passion truly revolved around video games. With over two years of dedicated experience as a writer specializing in the video gaming industry, Jay's passion for video games is seen through his art of crafting meticulously detailed video game guides, news, and reviews. His expertise spans a diverse range of gaming genres, most notably ARPGs, JRPG,s FPS, and TPS. Jay's favorite titles and franchises include Final Fantasy, Dragon's Dogma, Soulsborne, and Call of Duty.