Every Minecraft Java Edition world carries a DataVersion: a number stored in the world data that identifies the exact format generation the world was saved with. MCA Selector displays and filters chunks by DataVersion, and its support window is defined by it — the current 2.9 release handles worlds up to DataVersion 5023+. The table below is the official supported-versions table from the MCA Selector README, reproduced in full.
The complete DataVersion chart
| Minecraft version | DataVersion |
|---|---|
| 1.2.1 – 1.12.2 | None – 1343 |
| 1.13 – 1.13.2 | 1444 – 1631 |
| 1.14 – 1.14.4 | 1901 – 1976 |
| 1.15 – 1.15.2 | 2200 – 2230 |
| 1.16 – 1.16.5 | 2566 – 2586 |
| 1.17 – 1.17.1 | 2724 – 2730 |
| 1.18 – 1.18.2 | 2825 – 2975 |
| 1.19 – 1.19.4 | 3105 – 3337 |
| 1.20 – 1.20.6 | 3463 – 3839 |
| 1.21 – 1.21.11 | 3953 – 4671 |
| 26.1 – 26.3+ | 4764 – 5023+ |
Two things worth noticing. First, the oldest supported versions read “None – 1343”: the DataVersion field did not exist in the earliest formats, so those worlds simply have no number until the range starts. Second, the range jumps are not uniform — a major update can move the number by a few points (1.16) or by hundreds (1.18), which is why you cannot guess a DataVersion from the version name alone.
How to check your world’s DataVersion
The value is stored in the world’s level.dat file. In practice the easiest check inside MCA Selector is the Chunk Filter: DataVersion is one of its filter conditions, so you can test which range your chunks actually fall into — useful because a long-lived world usually contains chunks saved by several different game versions side by side. Raw NBT tools such as NBTExplorer can also read the value straight out of level.dat.
Why DataVersion matters when you edit
- Pruning before an update: filtering by DataVersion lets you select only the chunks generated by older versions and delete them, so the game regenerates that terrain with the new version’s content — while keeping the chunks you built in.
- Tool compatibility: a chunk’s DataVersion tells you whether your MCA Selector build understands it. A world at 5023 needs the 2.9 release; an older tool build can fail on newer worlds.
- Batch changes: DataVersion is also a field the NBT Changer can rewrite across selected chunks, which is an advanced, deliberate operation — not something to change casually, since the number is a claim about the data format, not just a label.
The official README adds one caution that applies to this whole table: there is no guarantee that worlds generated in a Snapshot version will work, and old Snapshots of past releases are not officially supported.
Download MCA Selector 2.9
Working with a current world? Download MCA Selector 2.9, the release that covers DataVersions up to 5023+.
Back up your world first: MCA Selector writes deletions and NBT changes straight to disk and they cannot be undone, so copy your world folder somewhere safe before you edit it.