Java Edition 1.18

1.18, the second release of Caves & Cliffs, is an upcoming major update to  set to release in November/December 2021. It was first announced alongside the release of 1.17 snapshot 21w15a when Mojang stated that the Caves & Cliffs update would be split in two. Some features for 1.18 were initially implemented during 1.17's development cycle, before getting postponed and relegated to official data packs used with a corresponding 1.17 snapshot.

World generation

 * Caves
 * Completely overhauled.
 * Now stretch down to Y=-59.
 * The caves now generate in 2 layers of different stone bases depending on the depth.
 * The layer above Y=0 is made up of regular stone.
 * Stone transitions to deepslate from Y=0 to Y=-7.
 * Deepslate completely replaces stone from Y=-8 to bedrock.
 * Certain types of ores and structures still generate in the deepslate layer, as well as tuff and gravel.
 * Dirt, diorite, granite and andesite do not generate in this layer.
 * Biomes such as the dripstone caves and lush caves now generate in the underground.
 * Contain aquifers, bodies of water with different heights, independent of sea level (Y=63).
 * Aquifers below Y=0 sometimes generate with lava instead of water.
 * Improved old caves to blend in with the new generations of caves better
 * New noise caves, coming in 3 forms, "cheese", "spaghetti", and "noodle".
 * Cheese caves have large stone towers stretching from the bottom of the cave to the top, and are often large enough to allow safe elytra flight.
 * Spaghetti caves are long, thin caves that have small aquifers and are more similar to original caves.
 * Noodle caves are thinner, squigglier, and more claustrophobic variants of spaghetti caves.


 * Mountains
 * Come in 6 sub-biomes:
 * Meadow
 * A flat but elevated biome that looks like a flowery and colder plains, with an aqua grass color and dark blue water color.
 * Generates in plateaus and the lowest layers of some mountains, usually near plains and other temperate biomes.
 * Contains grass, tall grass, dandelions, azure bluets, cornflowers, poppies, daisies and alliums
 * Birch and oak trees can rarely appear in this biome, and always have bee nests.
 * Only rabbits, donkeys, and sheep spawn in this biome.
 * Plains villages and pillager outposts can generate in this biome
 * Grove
 * Reminiscent of a snowy taiga with a surface of snow blocks and powder snow, instead of grass blocks.
 * Generates in the slopes of a snowy mountain when next to forested biomes.
 * Rabbits, wolves, foxes, sheep, pigs, chickens and cows spawn in this biome.
 * Pillager outposts can generate in this biome
 * Snowy Slopes
 * Generates in the slopes of a mountain when next to plains and snowy tundras
 * Covered in snow, snow block and powder snow.
 * Only rabbits and goats spawn in this biome.
 * Igloos and pillager outposts can generate in this biome
 * Jagged Peaks
 * One of three biomes that generate in the mountain peaks.
 * Covered in snow, snow blocks and stone.
 * Tends to generate in sharp and jagged peaks in areas with snowy, cold, and temperate biomes.
 * Only goats spawn in this biome.
 * Pillager outposts can generate in this biome
 * Frozen Peaks
 * Covered in snow, snow blocks, ice, and packed ice.
 * Tends to generate in smoother and smaller peaks in areas with snowy, cold, and temperate biomes.
 * Only goats spawn in this biome.
 * Stony Peaks
 * Covered in stone, gravel, and strips of calcite.
 * Tends to generate in any peak surrounded by warm biomes such as jungles and savannas, to avoid temperature clashes.
 * Pillager outposts can generate in this biome, therefore only pillager spawn in this biome.


 * Ore veins
 * Long and rare ore formations.
 * Copper ore veins mixed with granite and blocks of raw copper generate above Y=0.
 * Iron ore veins mixed with tuff and blocks of raw iron generate below Y=0.

Gameplay

 * Advancements
 * “Caves & Cliffs” for falling from the top to the bottom of the Overworld.
 * “Feels like home” for riding a strider on lava for 50 blocks in the Overworld.
 * “Star Trader” for trading with a villager at the build height limit.
 * “Sound of Music” for playing music with a jukebox in a meadow biome.

General

 * Commands
 * When enabled, begins profiling with Java FlightRecorder, as well as the following custom events:
 * minecraft.ServerTickTime: Sampling event exposing average server tick times in intervals of a second
 * minecraft.ChunkGeneration: Time taken to generate individual chunk stages
 * minecraft.PacketRead / minecraft.PacketSent: Network traffic
 * minecraft.WorldLoadFinishedEvent: Initial world loading duration
 * The profiling can be stopped in-game by using.
 * The profiling can be stopped in-game by using.


 * Debug screen
 * Added three new lines: Multinoise, biome builder, and terrain.
 * Only appear if the dimension where the player is uses the multi-noise biome source type.
 * Multinoise lists the parameters used at the player's position in order to place a biome. C is continentalness, E is erosion, T is temperature, H is humidity, and W is weirdness.
 * Continentalness goes up as you go more inland. In areas with low continentalness values, oceans may generate.
 * Erosion determines how flat or mountainous terrain is. Higher values result in flatter areas, lower values result in mountainous areas.
 * Temperature and humidity have no impact on the terrain itself, and only determine biome placement.
 * Weirdness indirectly drives the PV (peaks and valleys) noise and determines which biome variant gets placed.
 * Terrain lists values related to terrain generation.


 * Font
 * Added, the rune-like font from Minecraft Dungeons.
 * Currently only usable via commands


 * Languages
 * Added Lombard.
 * Added Toki Pona.


 * Loot tables
 * Added the field, which is mandatory.
 * Written into to ensure that the tag can be migrated correctly between versions
 * Added new loot table function, to set tag on any item.
 * Has following parameters:
 * : Potion ID


 * Options
 * Can now disable lightning flashes, which prevents lightning from making the sky flash. Lightning bolts themselves will still appear.
 * The device the game outputs audio to can now be chosen in-game.
 * Added "Priority updates" to video settings.
 * Determines as to which chunk sections are updated synchronously in a single frame.
 * Three options:
 * nearby, which corresponds to how chunk sections were updated before 21w37a, and by player and none, which reduce stuttering when placing or removing blocks.
 * However, the latter two options may cause rare visual delays in world updates. These options also appear to be improperly capitalized.
 * Added "Simulation Distance" video setting, a new slider.
 * Entities will not be updated outside of simulation distance.
 * Allows higher render distance with less CPU load.


 * server.properties
 * Added.


 * Subtitles
 * Added subtitles for various bundle sounds.
 * Added a new subtitle for the crop sound of shears.


 * Tags
 * Spawners now have a new tag, which lets players override the spawn rules of the spawned mob.
 * In the tag, players can specify, which indicates the highest block-light the spawners will spawn mobs at.


 * Telemetry
 * Readded, previously a part of game known as "snooper" until 18w20c.
 * Only implemented in world load event now.
 * Sent data when loading singleplayer world or connecting to multiplayer server.
 * Contains following information:
 * Launcher identifier
 * User identitifer (XUID)
 * Client session ID (changes on restart)
 * World session ID (changes per world load, to be reused for later events)
 * Game version
 * Operating system name and version
 * Java runtime version
 * If client or server is modded (same information as on crash logs)
 * Server type (single player, Realms or other)
 * Game mode
 * Cannot be disabled,

Blocks

 * Cave Vines, Kelp, Twisting Vines, and Weeping Vines
 * Now stop growing if shears are used on the tip.
 * This action changes the  block state of the tip to 25.


 * Copper Ore
 * Now drop 2-5 Raw Copper when mining instead of 2-3.


 * Enchanting Table
 * Now emits a light level of 7.


 * Sculk Sensor
 * Have been re-added to the Creative mode inventory.


 * Stonecutter
 * Block of Copper can be converted to 4 Cut Copper using stonecutter.

Mobs

 * Axolotls
 * Now only spawn in water above clay blocks in lush caves.
 * Now has its own mob cap.


 * Cod, Salmon, Pufferfish, Tropical Fish, Squid, and Dolphins
 * Now only spawn in water from Y=50 to Y=64.
 * Additionally, tropical fishes now also spawn in lush caves at any height.


 * Evoker, Pillager, Vindicator, and Ravager
 * Will no longer attack baby villagers.


 * Glow Squids
 * Now only spawn in water blocks under Y=30.


 * Goat
 * Now only spawn in snowy slopes, jagged peaks, and frozen peaks biomes.


 * Feedable mobs
 * All feedable mobs (except sheep) named Dinnerbone will now look at the player correctly.


 * General
 * Hostile mobs will only spawn in areas where the light level is equal 0.
 * This change only affects block-light and not sky-light.
 * Zombie, skeleton, spider, and cave spider spawners now spawn mobs up to block-light level 11.

World generation

 * Badlands
 * Now can generate in mountain peaks.
 * Red sand generates a bit higher.


 * Beaches
 * Beaches are generally wider.
 * In some places there is a chance where no beaches generate at all, to provide some variation.


 * Biomes
 * Some biomes have been renamed:
 * {| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

! Old name !! New name
 * Tall Birch Forest || Old Growth Birch Forest
 * Giant Tree Taiga || Old Growth Pine Taiga
 * Giant Spruce Taiga || Old Growth Spruce Taiga
 * Snowy Tundra || Snowy Plains
 * Jungle Edge || Sparse Jungle
 * Stone Shore || Stony Shore
 * Extreme Hills || Windswept Hills
 * Wooded Mountains || Windswept Forest
 * Gravelly Hills || Windswept Gravelly Hills
 * Shattered Savanna || Windswept Savanna
 * Wooded Badlands Plateau || Wooded Badlands
 * }
 * Extreme Hills || Windswept Hills
 * Wooded Mountains || Windswept Forest
 * Gravelly Hills || Windswept Gravelly Hills
 * Shattered Savanna || Windswept Savanna
 * Wooded Badlands Plateau || Wooded Badlands
 * }
 * Shattered Savanna || Windswept Savanna
 * Wooded Badlands Plateau || Wooded Badlands
 * }
 * Wooded Badlands Plateau || Wooded Badlands
 * }


 * Since the terrain height is no longer controlled by biomes, the following sub-biomes have been removed from the game and had their code merged into the main biome:
 * {| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

! Removed biomes
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * }
 * As a result of this change:
 * All deserts are now eligible for village and desert pyramid generation.
 * All taigas are now eligible for village and outpost generation.
 * All swamps are now eligible for swamp hut generation.
 * All snowy taigas are now eligible for igloo generation.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.
 * Worlds made in previous versions that generated these biomes will convert them into their default variants.


 * Deep Warm Ocean
 * Now generates naturally.


 * Dripstone Caves
 * Now generate naturally underground and inside hills or mountains.
 * Drowned and zombies can spawn in aquifers inside dripstone caves.


 * Lush Caves
 * Now generate naturally underground and inside hills or mountains.
 * Azalea trees now generate above lush caves.


 * Ore distribution
 * Changed ore generation of all ores making them have a spread value like lapis lazuli ore. Some still retain a linear generation alongside a spread generation.
 * Coal ore attempts to generate twice: once, evenly between an altitude of Y=136 and Y=256; and as a spread, peaking at an altitude of Y=96 and generating between an altitude of Y=0 and Y=192.
 * Copper ore generates between Y=-16 and Y=112, generating the most at Y=48 and like all other ores, uses spread. It peaks at Y=48. Bigger blobs of copper ore generate in dripstone caves.
 * Iron ore attempts to generate three times: once as a spread peaking at an altitude of Y=256, generating above Y=80; another as a spread peaking at Y=16 and generating with a minimum height of Y=-24 and a maximum height of Y=57, and a smaller one spreading evenly between the altitudes of Y=-64 and Y=-32.
 * Gold ore generates between the altitudes of Y=-64 and Y=32, peaking at Y=-16. Also, extra gold generates below Y=-48. The extra gold that generates in the badlands biome was left untouched.
 * Lapis lazuli ore attempts to generate twice: once, as a spread between the altitudes of Y=32 and Y=-32, peaking at an altitude of 0; and evenly between the altitudes of Y=64 and Y=-64, generating buried like ancient debris.
 * Redstone ore attempts to generate twice: once, evenly between an altitude of Y=15 and Y=-64; and as a spread, peaking at an altitude of -64 and generating below an altitude of Y=-32.
 * Diamond ore now generate as a spread, generating below Y=16 and peaking at altitudes near y=-64.
 * Emerald ore generates above Y=-16 as a spread, peaking at Y=256 and decreasing in quantity as the altitude decreases.


 * Overworld
 * Now uses the multi-noise biome source type.


 * Stony Shore
 * Now generate with strips of gravel.
 * Can generate alongside any biome instead of just windswept hills.


 * General
 * Terrain generation is now independent from biomes, with biomes adapting to whatever terrain they happen to generate throughout.
 * This allows for natural variation in the terrain of any individual biome, both in terms of shape and elevation.
 * For example, forests and deserts could form up on a hill without needing a special biome just for that purpose.
 * This additionally allows for smoother transitions between biomes.
 * Terrain is now smoother and more extreme.

Gameplay

 * Advancements
 * "Light as a Rabbit" now has "Sweet Dreams" as its parent instead of "Adventure".
 * Reduced the number of biomes required to visit for the "Adventuring Time" advancement from 42 to 31, due to the removal of sub-biomes.

General

 * Buried Treasure
 * Buried treasure chests can now contain water breathing potions.


 * Chunk format
 * Chunk’s &  have moved to a container structure in.
 * Chunk’s are now paletted and live in a similar container structure in.
 * Chunk’s is now  instead of.


 * Clouds
 * Raised cloud level from 128 to 192.


 * Data packs
 * Data pack version number has been increased to 8.


 * Effects
 * Redesigned how effects look in the inventory screen.
 * Can display while recipe book is showing.
 * The list of effects are now shown to the right of the player's inventory, instead of the left side.
 * When the inventory effects list is visible, it will be hidden from the game view to reduce screen clutter.
 * There’s now two modes of seeing the effect list: compact and classic:
 * Classic is the pre-existing list of effects, one after another.
 * Compact is a single icon for each effect, suitable for small screen estate.
 * The game will automatically switch between the two looks to suit the available screen estate.


 * Height limit
 * Has been increased to 384 blocks, expanding 64 blocks up and 64 blocks down, with 320 being the limit upward and -64 being the limit downward.


 * Options
 * The Sneak and Sprint, and Auto-jump options have been moved to the Controls tab.
 * Render distance now causes chunks to load in a cylinder shape around the player instead of a square.
 * Changed default brightness to 50.


 * Performance
 * Now, various background tasks including world generation are executed on a background thread pool.
 * The size of the thread pool equals.
 * Maximum amount of threads is 255, instead of 7. This limit can be overridden by Java system property.


 * Resource packs
 * Resource pack version number is now 8, as the following has been changed:
 * inventory.png now contains an extra sprite for a thin-layout version of the effect list in the inventory.


 * Scoreboards
 * Removed length limits for scoreboards, score holders and team names.


 * Server
 * now bundles individual libraries instead of merging all the files into single archive.
 * This change is meant to solve certain problems related to Java modules.
 * On startup, will unpack libraries into a directory configured by  (default: working directory).
 * To run different main class than server, use property.


 * Splashes
 * The splash "[this splash text has been delayed until part 2]" has been changed to "[this splash text is now available]".


 * Sprinting
 * No longer reduced to walking when touching the wall at low angles.


 * Tags
 * Renamed the block tag to.


 * World types
 * Removed the Large Biomes and Amplified world types.

General

 * Options
 * An option for existing chunks to have new terrain generate below the bedrock layer, with the old bedrock layer replaced with deepslate

World generation

 * Blobs


 * Copper ore will generate in a different fashion - the blob generation was a temporary solution.


 * Fossils


 * The fossils in the deepest part of the underground generate with Deepslate Diamond Ore instead of Coal Ore.


 * Strongholds


 * Try to generate fully encased in stone, or deepslate at low y-levels.

Unconfirmed features

 * Lush caves overview concept art.jpg Blossom


 * Can close.


 * Azalea Log


 * Between Java Edition snapshots 21w05a and 21w10a, many blocks (flowers, leaves, grass, ferns, sweet berry bushes, small dripleaves) had a block tag called "azalea_log_replaceable", possibly implying the existence of azalea logs.

Trivia

 * This is the first major update for that is split into two updates since Adventure Update in 2011.
 * This is also the first update that starts with experimental snapshots, instead of regular snapshots.