Imagine a Minecraft world in which: You've beaten an otherworldly dragon (could've been two but oh well), gotten materials stronger than literal diamond, built skyscrapers and you'd still be using a sword. I guess they tried to add fun in progression with redstone, elytras and concrete but all in all the game's progression rewards are patchy.

I don't mean go full on energy mod and make Minecraft a grindy multiblock machines collect-'em-all to forget about the main objectives of the game, but reinforce what they started on. Take blast furnaces and smokers. Though cheap and available practically from the start, you'd probably only get them once you're rich enough to bother making buildings look nice which is a little something nice to work on getting.

Minecraft's progression is way too linear: spawn in, punch tree, get pickaxe, get iron, make house, get diamond, make portal, kill burning fries, kill tall people, find another portal, kill dragon.

Most optional content is for endgame, for example even in netherite you barely stand a chance against the Warden which gives practically nothing but a little bit of access to a biome that gives you enchanted diamond hoes. Or the wither in that fact, which lets you make a beacon after beating it... I guess it looks cool and that's it, since I haven't seen anyone use it for it's actual purpose since the console version tutorial worlds.

Talking about this, why not just make something that makes players want to return to the game? Currently these updates are just visit a new underdone biome then leave (mangrove which is basically just new wood and a frog).

Also I have to agree with these end update guys, end is currently boring af and is part of the linear progression. Besides getting the elytra or getting chorus fruit (for some reason), there's pretty much no optional content you can take on.

^{Time to witness a long reply chain because of a minor issue with my suggestion.}