Removing Ore Generation in Minecraft: A Clean Slate for Modpack Creators
When you are building a custom modpack, the default world generation can sometimes feel like an obstacle rather than a feature. Vanilla ores and even those added by popular mods might clutter your underground, especially if you have designed an entirely different progression system. That is exactly where the Remove Ore Generation datapack steps in. Built for Minecraft version 1.21.1, this lightweight tool gives you total control by wiping out natural ore spawning, leaving only the resources you deliberately introduce.
What Does This Datapack Actually Do?
In simple terms, the datapack sets the spawn rate of every ore to zero. It targets both the base game and several well-known mods, ensuring that no stray iron, diamond, or custom mineral vein appears unless you explicitly create it. The approach is surgical: instead of removing blocks from the game, it just prevents them from generating during world creation or chunk loading. This means your existing worlds remain intact, but new chunks will be completely ore-free.
Supported Mods Right Out of the Box
The creator focused on compatibility with mods often used in tech and magic packs. Currently, ore generation is removed from:
- Immersive Engineering – its ores are restricted to spawn only at the building height limit, effectively hiding them from normal gameplay.
- Iron's Spellsbooks – arcane ores no longer appear naturally.
- Create – all zinc and other Create-specific ores are gone.
- Create: Propulsion – any additional ores from this addon are disabled.
- Oritech – its unique resource nodes are suppressed.
Beyond these, all vanilla ores like coal, copper, lapis lazuli, redstone, diamond, emerald, gold, iron, and netherite scraps are removed from world generation. The datapack is designed to be a foundation you can expand. If you need to strip ores from another mod, you can open the GitHub repository and adjust the JSON files yourself. The author encourages modders to use this as a learning resource because documentation on datapacks remains sparse.
Why Would You Want to Remove All Ores?
It might sound drastic, but for modpack creators, this is often a dream. Imagine you have built an entire progression line around Create – players crush cobblestone to get iron nuggets, wash gravel for gold, and use mechanical crafters for diamonds. In that scenario, natural ore veins undermine your carefully balanced recipes. By eliminating them, you force players to engage with your custom mechanics. Similarly, if you have written your own mod that introduces a completely new ore distribution, this datapack will not interfere with your scripts. It only disables the default and listed mod generations, leaving your custom worldgen untouched.
Another use case is server performance. Fewer generated blocks mean lighter chunk data, which can slightly improve load times and reduce lag on large servers. But the primary motivation remains creative freedom.
How to Install and Use the Datapack
Installation is straightforward. You place the datapack folder inside the datapacks directory of your world save. For modded instances, the process is identical. If you are managing multiple datapacks, remember that load order matters. The Remove Ore Generation pack should generally be loaded last to override any other datapack that might reintroduce ores. For those who prefer a more streamlined setup, this mod can be easily installed via the foxygame.net launcher — a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods right from the menu. It handles dependencies and datapack placement automatically, saving you from manual folder digging.
Troubleshooting: When Ores Still Appear
Sometimes you might notice ores stubbornly generating despite the datapack being active. This almost always points to a conflict. Another datapack or a mod could be re-adding the ore generation after this pack has already removed it. If the culprit is a datapack, try reordering them so that Remove Ore Generation sits at the bottom of the list. If a mod is responsible, you will need to identify it and then edit the JSON files inside this datapack to include that mod's ore features. The GitHub repository is openly editable, so you can fork it and maintain your own version with extended support.
Customizing the Datapack for Your Own Modpack
Because the datapack is essentially a collection of JSON files that set count or size parameters to zero, anyone with basic text editing skills can modify it. For Immersive Engineering, the approach is slightly different: the ores are configured to generate only at Y=255, the build height limit, which makes them practically inaccessible. You could change that to a more creative solution, like spawning them in a custom dimension. The datapack's structure is deliberately simple and well-commented, making it an excellent starting point for aspiring modpack developers who want to understand how world generation is controlled in modern Minecraft.
Is This the Right Tool for Your Project?
If you are tired of players skipping your custom content by simply mining a few blocks, the Remove Ore Generation datapack is a clean, effective solution. It does not add any new items or mechanics, so it remains lightweight and compatible with almost any mod loader that supports datapacks. Its open-source nature means you can always adapt it as your modpack evolves. Whether you are building a skyblock-inspired challenge where ores come from sieving, or a tech-focused world where resources are synthesized in machines, stripping away natural generation puts you firmly in control of the player experience.
Remember that a well-designed modpack tells a story through its mechanics. By removing the default ore clutter, you can craft a progression that feels intentional and rewarding. The datapack simply clears the canvas so your own ideas can shine.