---- Minecraft Crash Report ----
// Oops.

Time: 1/9/18 3:53 PM
Description: Initializing game

com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException: com.google.gson.stream.MalformedJsonException: Invalid escape sequence at line 4 column 82 path $.pack.description
at com.google.gson.internal.Streams.parse(Streams.java:60)
at com.google.gson.JsonParser.parse(JsonParser.java:84)
at com.google.gson.JsonParser.parse(JsonParser.java:59)
at sf.a(SourceFile:73)
at sf.a(SourceFile:66)
at sx.a(SourceFile:35)
at ss.a(SourceFile:38)
at su.a(SourceFile:33)
at bny.a(SourceFile:1170)
at bnv.an(SourceFile:439)
at bnv.a(SourceFile:367)
at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(SourceFile:140)
Caused by: com.google.gson.stream.MalformedJsonException: Invalid escape sequence at line 4 column 82 path $.pack.description
at com.google.gson.stream.JsonReader.syntaxError(JsonReader.java:1559)
at com.google.gson.stream.JsonReader.readEscapeCharacter(JsonReader.java:1550)
at com.google.gson.stream.JsonReader.nextQuotedValue(JsonReader.java:1004)
at com.google.gson.stream.JsonReader.nextString(JsonReader.java:815)
at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapters$29.read(TypeAdapters.java:718)
at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapters$29.read(TypeAdapters.java:739)
at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapters$29.read(TypeAdapters.java:739)
at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapters$29.read(TypeAdapters.java:714)
at com.google.gson.internal.Streams.parse(Streams.java:48)
... 11 more

A detailed walkthrough of the error, its code path and all known details is as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

– Head –
Thread: Client thread
Stacktrace:
at com.google.gson.internal.Streams.parse(Streams.java:60)
at com.google.gson.JsonParser.parse(JsonParser.java:84)
at com.google.gson.JsonParser.parse(JsonParser.java:59)
at sf.a(SourceFile:73)
at sf.a(SourceFile:66)
at sx.a(SourceFile:35)
at ss.a(SourceFile:38)
at su.a(SourceFile:33)
at bny.a(SourceFile:1170)
at bnv.an(SourceFile:439)

– Initialization –
Details:
Stacktrace:
at bnv.a(SourceFile:367)
at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(SourceFile:140)

– System Details –
Details:
Minecraft Version: 18w01a
Operating System: Windows 8.1 (amd64) version 6.3
Java Version: 1.8.0_25, Oracle Corporation
Java VM Version: Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (mixed mode), Oracle Corporation
Memory: 59519672 bytes (56 MB) / 134217728 bytes (128 MB) up to 1073741824 bytes (1024 MB)
JVM Flags: 8 total; -XX:HeapDumpPath=MojangTricksIntelDriversForPerformance_javaw.exe_minecraft.exe.heapdump -Xmx1G -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:G1NewSizePercent=20 -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=50 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=16M
IntCache: cache: 0, tcache: 0, allocated: 0, tallocated: 0
Launched Version: 18w01a
LWJGL: 3.1.2 build 29
OpenGL: AMD Radeon (TM) R9 390 Series GL version 4.5.13476 Compatibility Profile Context 22.19.171.257, ATI Technologies Inc.
GL Caps: Using GL 1.3 multitexturing.
Using GL 1.3 texture combiners.
Using framebuffer objects because OpenGL 3.0 is supported and separate blending is supported.
Shaders are available because OpenGL 2.1 is supported.
VBOs are available because OpenGL 1.5 is supported.

Using VBOs: Yes
Is Modded: Probably not. Jar signature remains and client brand is untouched.
Type: Client (map_client.txt)
Resource Packs:
Current Language: ~_ERROR~ NullPointerException: null
Profiler Position: N/A (disabled)
CPU: 8x AMD FX(tm)-8350 Eight-Core Processor