Knowing how mobs despawn in Minecraft is crucial for optimizing gameplay, especially when designing mob farms or other systems. Here’s a breakdown of how the despawn mechanics work:

1. Soft Despawn Radius: 24 Blocks

• Despawn Begins: Mobs located 24 blocks or more away from a player will start to despawn gradually.
• Mechanics: The chance of despawning increases with distance. The closer a mob is to the 24-block threshold, the lower the chance it will despawn. Conversely, as the distance increases, the likelihood of despawning rises.

2. Hard Despawn Radius: 128 Blocks

• Instant Despawn: Mobs that are 128 blocks or more away from a player will despawn instantly.
• Effect: Any mob outside of this 128-block radius is immediately removed from the game world, making it essential to ensure your farm designs account for this distance.