The Wild Update

The Wild Update is the name of an upcoming major themed update set to release in 2022 as Java Edition 1.19 and Bedrock Edition 1.19.0. It will add the deep dark biome, along with the warden, sculk blocks and deep dark cities, and completely overhaul the swamp biome, adding a mangrove variant. It's also planned to make various other biomes more atmospheric and immersive.

Blocks

 * Magrove log.jpg
 * Generated as a part of mangrove trees which are located in swamps.
 * Can be crafted into mangrove planks.


 * Mangrove Leaves.png
 * Generated in mangrove trees.
 * A decorative block.


 * Mangrove Flowers.png
 * Generated in mangrove trees.


 * Mangrove Planks.png
 * Crafted from the respective logs.
 * Can be used to craft respective slabs, stairs, fences, fence gates, pressure plates, signs, buttons, doors, boats and trapdoors.


 * Mangrove Roots.png
 * A decorative block.
 * Can be waterlogged.


 * Mangrove Sappling.png
 * Grows into a mangrove tree.
 * Grows underneath mangrove leaves.
 * Can be placed both on land and in water.


 * Mud.png
 * Found in mangrove swamps.
 * Can be created by using a water bottle on a dirt block.
 * Can be placed on top of dripstone to dehydrate and form clay.


 * Mud Bricks.png
 * Crafted using mud, sand, and wheat.
 * A decorative block.


 * Sculk BE1.gif
 * Generates in the mysterious new cave biome where the Warden lives, called the Deep Dark.
 * Has an animated texture.
 * Drops only experience when broken without Silk Touch.
 * May be used in redstone.
 * Sculk blocks grow underneath a mob corpse around a sculk catalyst.


 * Sculk Catalyst.png
 * Generates in the Deep Dark.
 * Made of sculk and a bone-like material.
 * May be used in redstone.
 * May have something to do with axolotls.
 * Will spread Sculk blocks to wherever a nearby mob dies. The amount it spreads depends on the amount of experience the mob is meant to drop.
 * This means that even if the mob doesn't drop experience as it wasn't killed by a player, the blocks would still spread based on the amount of experience it normally drops.
 * Sculk Catalyst (bloom).gif Blooms when activated.
 * Drops experience if broken without Silk Touch.
 * Emits light.
 * Emits soul particles after a mob dies.


 * Sculk Vein BE1.gif
 * Generates in the Deep Dark.
 * Generates in a layer on top of blocks, similar to snow.
 * Can be placed in all directions, like glow lichen.
 * Has an animated texture.
 * Drops only experience when broken without Silk Touch.
 * Some have parts that are transparent, allowing the player to see the block it is on top of.
 * May be used in redstone as seen in this video when they talk about the sculk sensor.


 * Sculk Shrieker.gif
 * Generates in the deep dark.
 * Perhaps made of sculk and a bone-like material.
 * Has 2 soul-shaped patterns in the center.
 * Has the ability to 'shriek', emitting ring-like/sonic particles.
 * Will be activated by the sculk sensor.
 * When activated, gives players the Darkness effects.
 * If activated too many times, a warden will spawn.


 * Unknown frame block.png
 * Composes a large open frame at the center of every deep dark city generated structure.
 * Appears to be composed of deepslate.
 * Has some unknown "interesting" purpose.

Items

 * Warden Spawn Egg.png Warden spawn egg.
 * Frog spawn egg.
 * Possibly tadpole spawn egg.
 * Allay spawn egg.
 * Firefly spawn egg.
 * Firefly spawn egg.

Mobs

 * Voted to be in the update during Minecraft Live 2021.
 * Can find dropped blocks or items for a player.
 * Picks up dropped items in loaded chunks and will be able to carry up to a stack at a time, and cannot duplicate items or take items out of chests. It will drop the items that it collects when in range of a note block.
 * Picks up dropped items in loaded chunks and will be able to carry up to a stack at a time, and cannot duplicate items or take items out of chests. It will drop the items that it collects when in range of a note block.


 * Frog.png
 * Comes in three variants: default, tropical, and snowy.
 * Variants depend on the temperature of the biome.
 * The tropical frog is based on the grey foam-nest tree frog..
 * Likes to jump on lily pads and big dripleaves.
 * Each variant is planned to have a unique use for players, currently unknown.


 * Glows in the dark.
 * Are eaten by frogs.
 * Are currently only two pixels big, making them the smallest mob in the game.
 * Are currently only two pixels big, making them the smallest mob in the game.


 * Grow up into frogs.
 * Can be held in buckets.
 * Frog type dependent on which temperature a tadpole grows in. With 3 variants, tropical, temperate, tundra.
 * Frog type dependent on which temperature a tadpole grows in. With 3 variants, tropical, temperate, tundra.


 * Warden.png Warden
 * Will spawn in the new Deep Dark biome within Deep Dark Cities.
 * The first fully blind mob (bats, despite relying almost exclusively on echolocation, still have basic eyesight).
 * Has a sense of smell. It will detect a player if they get too close, regardless if they made any vibrations.
 * Has a sense of sound. When sensing movement, it moves toward the source of the movement.
 * It follows and attacks players, mobs, and other entities that make vibrations.
 * It does not attack other Wardens.
 * When attacked, it path finds toward the player.
 * Seems to follow the same rules as the sculk sensor when detecting noise.
 * When it detects a vibration, the growths on its head rattle and light up, similar to the sculk sensor.
 * If any projectile (e.g. egg, snowball, arrow) lands near the Warden, the mob inspects the location where the projectile landed, due to the projectile creating movement and noise. This feature can be used in order to cause a distraction.
 * Does not detect players that are sneaking.
 * When aggravated for long enough, the warden follows the player continuously, regardless of any other distractions.
 * Because of this, it can detect players that are invisible.
 * Will burn in direct daylight.
 * Incredibly strong, doing damage, bringing players wearing full netherite armor from full health to  health points.
 * It is the only mob that spawns in Deep Dark.
 * Will spawn from sculk blocks, appearing to rise out of them, when a sculk shrieker is activated a certain amount of times.
 * A mob designed to be extremely difficult, intended to be fled from.
 * Has a way to counter the strategy of building up 3 blocks to avoid attacks.
 * At least as fast as the player's walking speed.
 * Seems to have knockback resistance.
 * The warden's chest has a glowing core that appears to brighten and dim in tandem with the ambient lighting of the deep dark city generated structure.
 * The core creates a low throbbing sound as it pulses. The sound and animation seem to speed up rapidly when the warden notices a player.
 * Is about 3.5 blocks tall, making it one of the tallest mobs in the game, exceeding the iron golem and enderman in height and width (the same).
 * Can be summoned by Sculk Shriekers; a Warden will rise out of the ground nearby if too many are activated.

Biomes

 * Completely overhauled.
 * Mangrove trees can be found there.
 * Contains mud.
 * Can spawn frogs.
 * Can spawn frogs.


 * New biome variant of a Swamp.
 * Will contain mangrove trees.
 * Contains mud as ground.
 * Contains mud as ground.


 * New biome at the "deepest depths of the world".
 * Originally planned for 1.17, then moved to 1.18, and was postponed to 1.19 yet again.
 * May not contain any water or lava aquifers.
 * May be the rarest cave biome.
 * Will tend to generate under continental/mountainous areas.
 * Generates exclusively within the deepslate layer between Y=-1 and Y=-64.
 * Contains the new Deep Dark City generated structure.
 * Wardens can spawn there.
 * Contains all Sculk-related blocks.
 * With the exception of spawners, no mobs other than Wardens can spawn there, similar to mushroom fields.
 * With the exception of spawners, no mobs other than Wardens can spawn there, similar to mushroom fields.

Non-mob entities

 * Similar to a Minecart with Chest but with boats.
 * Unlike the functionality of a Minecart with Chest, a player can still ride in the boat when the chest is present.
 * Different wood variants.
 * Different wood variants.

Structures

 * New structure that generates within the Deep Dark.
 * Includes all of the Deep Dark features within it.
 * Made of Deepslate and Basalt blocks and their variants.
 * Contains Soul Sand, Soul Fire and Soul Lanterns.
 * Contains Candles and Skeleton Skulls.
 * Contains Chests with unique loot.
 * Contains the unknown frame block.
 * Has different levels and open spaces.
 * Has different levels and open spaces.


 * New type of tree.
 * Contains roots made out of mangrove root blocks.
 * Has propagules hanging from leaves.
 * Are found in swamps.
 * Are found in swamps.

Effects

 * Darkness.png Darkness
 * A status effect triggered by the sculk shrieker block, causing the player's camera to dim in brightness thus limiting vision.
 * Originally acted as a warning that the warden is nearby in earlier development, however this has likely changed.

Particles

 * Sculk Soul (texture 0).png Sculk catalysts will emit a new particle, resembling the existing soul particle, but blue, when triggered:




 * Sculk shriek particles.png Sculk shrieker will emit a new particle, resembling a ring or smoke signal, when activated.

Mechanics

 * Clay is renewable (other than by stone masons giving it to you after getting Hero of the Village) by placing mud over a dripstone block with a stalactite dripstone growing under. The dripstone will dry it out, producing a clay block.

Biomes

 * Updating various Overworld biomes, such as Birch Forests, to make them more biodiverse, unique and add more immersion to biomes in general.

World generation

 * Already in.
 * Already in.

Gameplay

 * Originally announced at Minecraft Live 2020, it was originally going to be added in 1.17. When the Caves & Cliffs update was split into two parts however, it was pushed past both releases. It may come in 1.19.
 * Originally announced at Minecraft Live 2020, it was originally going to be added in 1.17. When the Caves & Cliffs update was split into two parts however, it was pushed past both releases. It may come in 1.19.

Trivia

 * The warden was originally known as a "stalker" early during development. That iteration also had white flesh with holes in it, to the point where it was deemed too gory by the developers and had to be tuned down.
 * Brandon Pearce also mentioned that this is one of various "wildly different" iterations that he's going to preview once the warden is released to the public.

Concept artwork
Some concept art in this gallery are originally made for the Caves & Cliffs update.