- Raven B4 is a legacy Forge mod for MC 1.8.9, the documented successor to Raven B3 in blowsy's Raven lineage. Opal is an active $8.99 client for MC 26.2 with 70 modules.
- If you're not already parked on 1.8.9, Raven B4 isn't an option at all, and if you are, Opal isn't one for you either. These two barely overlap.
- Opal ships through a launcher behind a custom glass UI engine built on Blaze3D. Raven B4 has no documented price, feature list, or UI to compare against.
- Raven B4's real credential is lineage, not a spec sheet: it's a traceable step in a specific Raven codebase, not a random jar with a name attached.
- Raven B4 and the unrelated Raven B++ share part of a name and nothing else. Don't let the similarity confuse the search.
At a glance
| Feature | Opal | Raven B4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | Not documented |
| Status | Active | Legacy |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Injection model | Fabric mod, launcher-distributed | Forge mod, manual install |
| UI | A custom glass UI engine on Blaze3D (blur, fresnel, refraction, shadow), with GraalJS/Yoga for layout | Not documented |
| Features | 70 modules across combat, movement, visual, world, and utility | Not documented |
| Tuned for | BedWars/SkyWars-style minigame combat, plus a broader set for most servers | Not documented |
| Setup | Launcher, log in, play | Forge mod, install into your mods folder yourself |
| Updates and support | Maintained by the Opal team, launcher-distributed updates | None documented; legacy |
| Minecraft version | MC 26.2 | MC 1.8.9 |
Opal by the numbers
A build in a lineage, not a full feature list
Raven B4's own record is short: it's the successor to Raven B3 in blowsy's Raven line, explicitly called out as unrelated to Raven B++, a different client by K-ov that just happens to share part of the name. That disambiguation is worth knowing if you're searching around Raven-branded clients. B4 and B++ are different codebases, not a fork of one another.
Opal is documented in a lot more depth: pricing, a full module breakdown, a UI stack, and a scripting engine all live in its own record. That gap isn't a knock on B4's engineering. It's just what survived into the record for this particular build.
A Forge mod from a much older version vs a client built for today's release
Raven B4 runs on Forge for MC 1.8.9, loaded as a mod rather than through any external injector. Opal runs on Fabric for MC 26.2, the version shipping right now. These aren't really two clients competing for the same lobby. One only works on a Minecraft release from over a decade ago, the other only works on the one you're playing today. If you're not already on 1.8.9, Raven B4 isn't a worse option, it's not an option at all.
Active development vs a legacy build with no update trail
Opal carries a status of active: it's still being built, its module count is current as of its own last update, and it ships through a maintained launcher. Raven B4 carries a status of legacy. There's no build recorded after B4, no price, no ongoing support, just its place in the lineage right after Raven B3.
Installing a jar yourself vs a launcher that does it for you
Getting Raven B4 running means installing it as a Forge mod yourself, the standard manual path for an older client on an older loader. Opal ships through its own launcher: you log in and it handles the rest. Call the manual route "hands-on" if you like the sound of it. The honest translation is one more evening spent finding the right mods folder before you've actually played a game.
What Raven B4 actually has going for it
If you're still playing on MC 1.8.9, that alone rules Opal out for you, full stop. Opal doesn't run there. And being the documented successor to Raven B3 in a specific, named lineage is a real thing, not nothing: it means B4 is a traceable step in a client's history, not a random anonymous jar someone uploaded once. That's a genuinely narrower audience than Opal's, which is built for players on the current release who want a finished, supported product out of the box.
When Raven B4 is the better call
Be honest with yourself about what you actually want.
Pros
- You're still on 1.8.9 servers and need a Forge mod built for that exact version
- You specifically want the Raven B3-to-B4 lineage rather than a different client entirely
- You don't mind installing a Forge jar yourself with no launcher in the loop
Cons
- No documented price, module list, or UI to evaluate before you install it
- No launcher, and no documented update or support trail past the B4 build
- Locked to a Minecraft version most servers moved on from years ago
If you're still on 1.8.9, none of this changes your decision, Opal simply isn't built for your version. But if you want a client built for the current Minecraft release, with a launcher, 70 modules, and combat tuned for BedWars/SkyWars-style minigames, that's Opal.
FAQ
No. Opal is a Fabric mod built for MC 26.2, the current release. It doesn't support 1.8.9.
Not per its own record. Its status is legacy, and there's no documented update past the B4 build itself.
$8.99, once. Lifetime license, no subscription.
No. They're unrelated. Raven B4 continues blowsy's Raven B3 lineage; Raven B++ is a separate client by K-ov.
blowsy, as the successor to Raven B3.
Lifetime license, instant delivery, no subscription
Disclaimer
Independent comparison. Raven B4 is a trademark of its owners; its use here is nominative and implies no affiliation or endorsement. Competitor details are accurate to the best of our knowledge as of 2026 and may contain errors.
