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This article is a work in progress. 
This page documents a major update currently being worked on. 
Therefore, not all official feature names or items are mentioned.
Caves & Cliffs

The logo for Caves & Cliffs.

Caves & Cliffs cover art

The cover art for Caves & Cliffs: Part I.

Caves & Cliffs is the name of one released and one upcoming major themed update set to release for Java Edition. The first part was released as Java Edition 1.17 and Bedrock Edition 1.17.0 on June 8, 2021,[1] which added geodes, copper, new blocks and mobs. The second part will be released as Java Edition 1.18 and Bedrock Edition 1.18.0[2] at the end of 2021 and will include expanded caves, increased height and depth limit, new mountain generation, and new biomes. It was announced in Minecraft Live 2020,[3] and on April 14, 2021, Mojang Studios announced that the update would be split into two updates due to the amount and complexity of content, as well as team health.[4]

On Java Edition, Part I started development with snapshot 20w45a, which was released on November 4, 2020. The first pre-release for Caves & Cliffs: Part I was released on May 27, 2021, and the first release candidate on June 4, 2021. As for Part II, development started with 1.18 Experimental Snapshot 1, which was released on July 13, 2021.

On Bedrock Edition, Part I started development with beta 1.16.200.52, which was released on October 28, 2020. Most of the Part I features were behind experimental gameplay toggle until the Part I release and were not included in the full 1.16.200, 1.16.210, and 1.16.220 release.[5][6] In 1.17.10, released on July 13, 2021, non-beta users were able to test out the new world generation for Part II.[7]

Both Java and Bedrock received Caves & Cliffs: Part I on June 8, 2021.

Notable features

This section is about features that are included in the development versions. For planned additions, see  § Planned additions. For planned changes, see  § Planned changes.

Blocks

Small Amethyst BudMedium Amethyst BudLarge Amethyst BudAmethyst Cluster Amethyst Buds and Amethyst Cluster
  • Grow on any side of budding amethyst blocks over time.
  • Emit a small amount of light.
  • Can be placed on any solid block in any direction, regardless of on land or in water.
  • Require at least an iron pickaxe to mine, otherwise drops nothing.
  • Breaking a fully developed amethyst cluster with a non-Silk Touch pickaxe drops 4 amethyst shards.
    • These can be crafted into spyglasses and tinted glass.
    • Using Silk Touch on an amethyst bud or cluster drops the block as an item.
AzaleaFlowering Azalea Azalea
Azalea LeavesFlowering Azalea Leaves Azalea Leaves
Big Dripleaf Big Dripleaf
  • A plant that can be used for platforming.
  • If a player or mob stands on top of the plant for two seconds (40 ticks), the plant tilts and the player or mob falls through the plant.
    • Tilts even if the player is sneaking.
    • Also tilts if hit by a projectile (such as snowballs, arrows, etc.).
    • Does not tilt when powered by a redstone block, unless hit by a projectile.
    • Does not tilt if block placed on it.
    • Tilts if item thrown (ejected from inventory) on it.
  • Can be placed on any solid block and water.
  • Can have bone meal applied to grow taller.
  • Can be used for new parkour projects and obstacle courses.
Block of Amethyst Block of Amethyst
  • Can be crafted with four amethyst shards.
  • Naturally generates in amethyst geode structures.
  • Makes a sparkling sound when placed or walked on.
  • Can be mined in amythest geode by iron pickaxe or better.
Budding Amethyst Budding Amethyst
  • When it receives a random tick, it has a 20% chance to generate or grow an amethyst bud on one of its sides.
  • Relatively rare, generates only in amethyst geode structures.
  • Only obtainable in Creative Mode.
Calcite Calcite
  • Spawns between smooth basalt and blocks of amethyst, much like real-life geodes.
  • Visually similar to diorite, but with a smoother texture.
  • Found underground surrounding the outsides of amethyst geode formations.
CandleTwo CandlesThree CandlesFour CandlesWhite CandleTwo White CandlesThree White CandlesFour White CandlesOrange CandleTwo Orange CandlesThree Orange CandlesFour Orange CandlesMagenta CandleTwo Magenta CandlesThree Magenta CandlesFour Magenta CandlesLight Blue CandleTwo Light Blue CandlesThree Light Blue CandlesFour Light Blue CandlesYellow CandleTwo Yellow CandlesThree Yellow CandlesFour Yellow CandlesLime CandleTwo Lime CandlesThree Lime CandlesFour Lime CandlesPink CandleTwo Pink CandlesThree Pink CandlesFour Pink CandlesGray CandleTwo Gray CandlesThree Gray CandlesFour Gray CandlesLight Gray CandleTwo Light Gray CandlesThree Light Gray CandlesFour Light Gray CandlesCyan CandleTwo Cyan CandlesThree Cyan CandlesFour Cyan CandlesPurple CandleTwo Purple CandlesThree Purple CandlesFour Purple CandlesBlue CandleTwo Blue CandlesThree Blue CandlesFour Blue CandlesBrown CandleTwo Brown CandlesThree Brown CandlesFour Brown CandlesGreen CandleTwo Green CandlesThree Green CandlesFour Green CandlesRed CandleTwo Red CandlesThree Red CandlesFour Red CandlesBlack CandleTwo Black CandlesThree Black CandlesFour Black Candles Candles and cakes with candles
  • A light source with a light level of 3.
  • Up to four can be placed in a single block, similar to sea pickles. If 1 more candle is placed in a block, it increases the light level by 3, making a max light level of 12.
    • Can be placed in water, but cannot be lit when waterlogged.
  • Can be lit with a flint and steel, fire charge, an arrow fired from a flame-enchanted bow, or a fire charge shot by a dispenser if it hits the candle.
    • Emits fire particles when lit.
    • The player can left-click it to snuff it.
  • Can be placed only if there is a solid surface below.
    • Can still float if the block below them is broken.
  • Have variants for uncolored and all 16 colors.
    • Uncolored candle is crafted with 1 string and 1 honeycomb.
    • Colored candle is crafted using one of the 16 dyes and one uncolored candle.
  • Right-clicking a candle on an uneaten cake makes a "birthday cake", which can have a single candle placed on it.
    • Example: Cake with Candle
    • If the cake is eaten, the candle pops off.
  • Lit candles have a different texture than unlit candles.
Cauldron Cauldron
Cave Vines (head)Cave Vines (berries) Cave Vines
  • Grow on the bottom side of a block.
  • Grow in lush caves.
  • Can be planted using glow berries.
  • Produce edible glow berries, which are a light source.
    • Glow berries on the body of the plant produce a higher light level compared to the tip (bottom-most) of the plant.
  • Using bone meal on a cave vine produces glow berries (similar to sweet berry bushes) instead of growing the vine itself, unlike other vines.
    • Can be extended downward using glow berries, and has an age mechanic, similar to kelp, such that every time it ages it has a chance to grow Glow Berries.
Cobbled Deepslate Cobbled Deepslate
  • Takes slightly longer to mine than normal stone.
  • Mining deepslate without Silk Touch drops cobbled deepslate, similar to stone dropping cobblestone.
  • Can be crafted or cut into the following blocks:
    • Deepslate Slab
    • Deepslate Stairs
    • Deepslate Wall
    • Polished Deepslate
    • Polished Deepslate Slab
    • Polished Deepslate Stairs
    • Polished Deepslate Wall
    • Deepslate Bricks
    • Deepslate Brick Slab
    • Deepslate Brick Stairs
    • Deepslate Brick Wall
    • Deepslate Tiles
    • Deepslate Tile Slab
    • Deepslate Tile Stairs
    • Deepslate Tile Wall
    • Chiseled Deepslate
Block of CopperExposed CopperWeathered CopperOxidized Copper Copper Block and variants
  • Copper blocks are used for crafting and storage.
  • The stonecutter can be used to craft the different copper block variants.
    • Only cut copper can be used to make stairs and slabs.
      • Example: Cut CopperExposed Cut CopperWeathered Cut CopperOxidized Cut Copper
      • Made with four copper blocks.
      • Cannot be turned back into regular copper blocks or copper ingots.
  • Develops a patina of pale green copper carbonate over multiple stages, exposed, weathered, and oxidized, which might be sped up by weather such as rain.
    • Honeycombs can be used to make waxed copper, which does not progress beyond the patina stage it has at the time. The wax can be scraped off with an axe, but it does not drop the honeycomb.
    • Axes can be used to undo the oxidisation stages one at a time.
  • Drowned can drop copper ingots.
Copper Ore Copper Ore
  • New ore that is found underground.
  • Drops Raw Copper when broken, like other metal ores.
  • Spawns in ore veins similar to iron (current generation is not the final version).
  • Can be smelted into a copper ingot, which can be used to craft copper blocks, lightning rods, and spyglasses.
  • Does not generate below Y = 0.
Deepslate Deepslate
  • Can be found below Y = 0.
  • Generates as base stone below Y = 0, gradually replacing stone.
  • Previously known as "grimstone".
  • Has similar texture to cobbled deepslate but with a different top texture.
  • Is slightly tougher to mine than normal stone.
  • Drops cobbled deepslate when mined without the Silk Touch enchantment.
  • Is rotated when placed depending on the players orientation.
Deepslate Coal OreDeepslate Copper OreDeepslate Lapis Lazuli OreDeepslate Redstone OreDeepslate Diamond OreDeepslate Gold OreDeepslate Emerald Ore Deepslate Ores
  • New overworld ore variants that generate in the deepslate layer (below Y = 0).
  • Functionally similar to their normal ore variants but take twice as long to mine.
  • Ores that generate with deepslate variants include iron, gold, lapis lazuli, diamond, and redstone.
    • Ores that do not generate below Y = 0 still have deepslate variants, however these variants do not generate naturally.
Dripstone Block Dripstone Block
Glow Lichen (texture) JE1 Glow Lichen
  • A decorative block.
  • Can be waterlogged.
  • Looks similar to vines.
  • Emits a light level of 7.
  • Spreads to a random nearby block in a cross formation when bone meal is applied.
  • Generates in caves.
  • This block was hinted at by Henrik Kniberg, who explained that the glowing ores at Minecraft Live 2020 were prototypes for this. [8][9]
Hanging Roots Hanging Roots
  • Seen in the distance of a lush caves biome behind a spore blossom.
  • A decorative block.
  • Bonemealing rooted dirt causes it to grow on the bottom of the block.
Lightning Rod Lightning Rod
  • Crafted with 3 copper ingots.
  • Redirects nearby lightning strikes to the top of the rod, which can prevent flammable structures from catching fire during thunderstorms.
  • Emits a redstone signal when struck by lightning, with the exception of when it gets struck by lightning from a channeling trident in a thunderstorm, in which it emits nothing.
  • Can be oriented in different directions depending on the players orientation.
Block of Raw IronBlock of Raw GoldBlock of Raw Copper Block of Raw Iron, Block of Raw Gold, and Block of Raw Copper
Moss Block Moss Block
  • An opaque block that appears grassy on all sides.
    • Using bone meal can cause it to grow grass, tall grass, moss carpets and both types of azalea bushes on it and in its vicinity.
    • Bone meal can also cause it to grow over (expand) and convert stone surfaces, sand, dirt, etc. but not grass surfaces.
  • Breaks when pushed by a piston.
Moss Carpet Moss Carpet
  • Same texture as the moss block, but one pixel thick like carpet.
  • Can occupy the same block with grass.
Pointed Dripstone Pointed Dripstone
  • Comes in two forms, stalactites and stalagmites.
    • Stalactites hang from the ceiling and drip water or lava, based on what is above them. The stalactites drip water naturally without a source block above it, but these drips do not fill a cauldron.
      • Placing a cauldron under a stalactite slowly fills the cauldron with water or lava depending on the source block above them (enables renewable lava).
      • If the block on which a stalactite hangs is broken, the stalactite falls, causing damage to players and mobs directly underneath. They do not take any damage if they are airborne.
    • Stalagmites are found on the floor of the cave and deal damage if landed on.
    • The damage inflicted of pointed dripstone is directly proportional to the height from which the stalactite or player/mob falls from.
    • If a stalactite and stalagmite of any two lengths are placed directly above and below each other, they conjoin into a column. If one is placed while the player is crouching, they stay separate.
Powder Snow Powder Snow
  • Similar to snow, but entities fall through it. The fall is similar to the effect of cobwebs, but faster.
  • If the player does not have any leather armor equipped and they walk or fall in, they start to freeze and take damage.
    • Freezing lowers the player's FOV (field of view), turns the health bar blue, and puts a frosty vignette on their screen.
    • Any leather armor prevents freezing.
      • Wearing leather boots allows the player to walk on top of powder snow and make it function like scaffolding.
    • Most mobs can also take freezing damage. Polar bears, strays, and snow golems are immune to freezing.
  • Certain mobs have unique properties with powder snow.
  • "Snowier snow" was announced to be part of the Mountains biome in the biome vote at MINECON Live 2019, a joke teaser for powder snow.[10]
  • Cauldrons slowly fill up with powder snow when they are placed in a snowing.biome
Rooted Dirt Rooted Dirt
  • Part of the Azalea plant.
  • Resembles a dirt block, but with the roots of the Azalea tree intertwined.
  • The first roots that exist in Minecraft.
  • Planned to lead to the Lush Caves biome.
  • When bonemealed, hanging roots grow on the bottom block.
Sculk Sensor Sculk Sensor
  • Generates in the deep dark cave biome.
  • Can be used for wireless redstone.
  • Senses vibrations created by things such as block placement, footsteps, entities such as cows or zombies, and projectiles, including fishing rods.[11]
  • Wool can occlude its ability to sense in a certain direction. This can be placed between or completely around the source of the input.‌[Java Edition only]{{upcoming|be 1.18.0}
  • Cannot detect players sneaking.
  • Can be used with a piston to create a wireless redstone clock.
  • Emits particles ( Vibration JE1 BE1) when it senses a vibration nearby, except when waterlogged.
  • Are not affected by ambient weather such as rain,[12] nor other sculk sensors and/or the warden.[13]
Small Dripleaf Small Dripleaf
  • Appears highly varied in models.
  • Can be placed only in water or on clay, which counts as a 'moist' block.
  • Bone meal can be applied to turn it into Big Dripleaf.
  • Can be sold by the Wandering Trader.
Smooth Basalt Smooth Basalt
  • Spawns as an outer covering of amethyst geodes on the outer side of calcite, similar to real-life geodes.
  • Very similar in texture to calcite but different in color.
  • Can be obtained by smelting basalt in a furnace.
Spore BlossomSpore Blossom (bottom view) Spore Blossom
  • Can be placed on ceilings.
  • Sends particles downward when opened.
  • Creates ambient particle effects, similar to the nether biomes, but non-biome dependent, however, its natural generation is dependent of the Lush Caves, meaning that Spore Blossoms currently don't generate naturally in default worlds.
Tinted Glass Tinted Glass
  • A type of glass that does not allow light to pass through.
  • Crafted with a glass block in the middle and 4 amethyst shards in a cross shape.
  • Drops itself when broken, even without Silk Touch, unlike glass.
Tuff Tuff
  • Spawns occasionally in the deepslate layer (below Y = 0).

Items

Amethyst Shard Amethyst Shard
Bucket of Axolotl Bucket of Axolotl
Bundle Bundle[Java Edition only]
  • Can contain one cumulative stack of any variety of item types.
    • Stack sizes are sustained. For example, a bundle containing 32 blocks with a stack size of 64 could hold only an additional 8 ender pearls, as the stack size of an ender pearl is 16; the half stack of ender pearls added to the half stack of blocks is calculated as one full stack. Un-stackable items like minecarts remain un-stackable.
  • Displays a blue bar, similar to a durability bar, that shows how full it is.
  • Items are added by holding the bundle within the inventory and clicking an item or vice versa.
  • Tooltip shows icons of contained items.
  • Items drop to inventory when right clicked.
  • Are crafted with rabbit hide and string.
Copper Ingot Copper Ingot
Glow Berries Glow Berries
Glow Ink Sac Glow Ink Sac
Goat Horn Goat Horn[Bedrock Edition only]
  • Goats have a chance to drop this item when they ram into a block.
  • Holding use while holding this item plays the raid horn sound effect.
Powder Snow Bucket Powder Snow Bucket
  • Using a bucket on powder snow creates a powder snow bucket.
  • Powder snow buckets can be used to place powder snow.
  • Powder snow buckets can also be filled from cauldrons filled with powder snow.
Raw IronRaw GoldRaw Copper Raw Iron, Raw Gold, and Raw Copper
Spawn Eggs
Spyglass Spyglass
  • Crafted from an amethyst shard and 2 copper ingots.
  • When used while held, it allows the player to see far away objects through a small square.
    • By pressing F1, the player can zoom in the whole screen; avoiding the border that is normally presented when using.
    • Switching to third person view while using the spyglass shows the player holding up the spyglass to where the eyes would be.

Mobs

Lucy Axolotl JE2

An axolotl.

Glow Squid

Glow Squid seen in Java Edition.

Goat

A goat.

Axolotl
  • Based on the critically endangered Mexican salamander with the same name in real life.
  • Planned to be found in bodies of water within lush caves biomes.
  • The first amphibian added to Minecraft.
  • Can be caught in a bucket like fish.
  • Comes in four common varieties, lucy (pink), wild (brown), gold, and cyan, and a rare blue variety, which has a 11200 (~0.08334%) chance of spawning. This fraction is based on the fact that there are about 1200 axolotls left in the wild.[14]
  • Plays dead when damaged, receiving Regeneration.
    • This regeneration ability is likely based on how real axolotls can regrow lost limbs.
  • Preys on fish, glow squid and squid, and attacks drowned and guardians (doesn't include Elder Guardians) if tempted with tropical fish by a player.
  • Axolotls prioritize hostile mobs over fish.
Glow Squid
Goat
  • Spawns in mountain biomes.
  • Can jump high to avoid obstacles, about 5 blocks tall.
  • Attacks nearby mobs and players by charging and knocking them a considerable distance.
  • Mobs attacked by goats don’t attack back.
    • Doesn't attack other goats.
  • Takes reduced fall damage.
  • Avoids powder snow by jumping over it.
  • Can be bred with wheat, which produces a baby goat.
  • Drops one goat horn when ramming into a block. Goat horns do not regrow. ‌[Bedrock Edition only]
    • Has a 2% chance of spawning as a screaming goat, with different sounds.
  • Screaming goats use their ramming attack more often than normal goats.
  • Drops nothing upon death.

Non-mob entities

Glow Item Frame Glow Item Frames

World generation

File:Amethyst Geode.png

An amethyst geode, showcasing its insides.

Amethyst Geodes
  • An underground cave-like feature.
  • Generate in groups of 2-3 close together to each other in water, exposed. These are usually the only chances an amethyst geode can be exposed.
  • Contains smooth basalt, calcite, blocks of amethyst, budding amethyst, and the amethyst clusters they generate.
  • An amethyst geode that generates underwater causes water block textures to appear in openings. Placing or breaking a block next to the water blocks causes them to start flowing into the geode.
  • Twinkle-like sounds can be heard near amethyst clusters, which used placeholder sounds when it was showcased, and not the final version.[15]
File:Ore veins.jpeg

Ore veins.

Ore Veins
  • Large, rare, snake-like ore formations.
  • Copper ore veins mixed with granite generate above Y=0.
  • Iron ore veins mixed with tuff generate below Y=0.
File:NewMountains.jpeg

New mountain generation.

Mountains
Caves
  • Completely overhauled.
  • Now stretch down to Y = -59.
  • The cavern now generates in 2 layers of different stone bases depending on the depth.
    • Cavern layer above Y = 0 is made up of regular stone.
    • Stone transitions to deepslate from Y = 0 to Y = -7.
    • Deepslate now completely replaces stone from Y = -8 to bedrock.
      • Certain types of ores and structures still generate in the deepslate layer, as well as tuff.
      • Dirt, diorite, granite and andesite do not generate in this layer.
  • Biomes inside of caves introduced such as dripstone caves.
  • Contain aquifers, bodies of water with different heights, independent of sea level (Y=63).
    • Lava aquifers also exist, occasionaly replacing water aquifers below y = 0.
  • Improved old caves to blend in with the new generations of caves better.[16]
  • New carver called crack carver, which appears as a fissure on the ground, like ravines but narrower and can go very deep.[17]
  • New noise caves, coming in 2 forms, cheese and spaghetti.
    • The original caves still exist, mixing with the noise caves.
    • Cheese caves have large stone towers stretching from the bottom of the cave to the top.
      • Very large, often large enough to fly with an elytra.
      • Abundant with aquifers and ores.
    • Spaghetti caves are long, thin caves that have small aquifers and are more similar to original caves.
21w07a Mineshaft

Tweaked mineshaft generation, with chains and support pillars.

Mineshafts
  • For support, in the air, can generate with log pillars below or chains on fence posts above.
Strongholds
  • Try to generate fully encased in stone at low y-levels.

Biomes

Dripstone Caves

A dripstone caves biome.

Lush Caves

A lush caves biome.

Dripstone Caves
Lush Caves
  • Contain cave plants and moss.
  • Moss covers the ceilings and floors.
  • Clay pools generate inside.
Mountains
  • 5 new sub-biomes added:

Gameplay

1

The ore distribution changes as of and beta 1.20.40.22.

Vibrations
  • An action can cause vibrations in the air, which can be picked up by sculk sensors and wardens.
  • Can be caused by player and mob movements, blocks being placed or broken, containers opening, projectiles being fired and landing, blocks like pistons moving, buttons, levers and pressure plates activating, and blocks activating. Vibrations are not caused by ambient weather such as rain or snow. [12]

General

Caves & Cliffs Ores

The unique textures of all the ores in Caves & Cliffs.

Terrain
  • Terrain generation is now independent from biomes, with biomes adapting to whatever terrain they happen to generate throughout.[18]
    • 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.
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.
Ores
  • Most of the overworld ores have been retextured and touched up mainly for accessibility reasons. These also apply to the new deepslate ores.
    • This is a great help for color blind people that have difficulties distinguishing a certain ore of similar texture from another.
    • Diamond ore is an exception to this for being the "iconic" ore of the game, making Minecraft developers want to keep the classic feel of it.
  • Ore distribution has been changed for more strategic mining.
    • Certain ores are more common at certain depths, and some may generate in lower quantities or not generate at that level at all.

Planned additions

Note that the names of many features are currently placeholders. They may be marked with the template [unofficial name].

Blocks

Sculk in redstone

This image shows the sculk blocks in redstone, implying that the other sculk blocks also have redstone uses.

Sculk Block Sculk Block
  • Generates in the mysterious new cave biome where the Warden lives, referred to as the "deep dark" temporarily.
  • Has an animated texture.
  • May be used in redstone.[19]
File:Unidentified Sculk Block.png Sculk Trap[unofficial name]
  • Generates in the deep dark biome.
  • Has a different top texture than the Sculk Block and Sculk Chute.[20]
  • May be used in redstone.[19]
File:Sculk Something.png Sculk Chute[unofficial name]
Sculk Veins Sculk Veins[22]
  • Generates in the deep dark cave biome.
  • Generates in a layer on top of blocks, similar to snow.
  • Can be placed in all directions, like glow lichen.
  • 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.[19]

Items

Spawn Eggs
  • Warden Spawn Egg The Warden spawn egg is visually confirmed but not yet implemented.[23]

Mobs

Warden&Golem

A Warden and Iron Golem standing side by side.

Warden Warden
  • Spawns in the new Deep Dark biome.
  • The first fully blind mob (bats, despite relying almost exclusively on echolocation, still have basic eyesight).
  • When sensing movement, it moves toward the source of the movement.
    • Follows and attacks players, mobs, and other entities that make vibrations.[note 1]
      • 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, splash potions, tridents) 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.
    • Can detect players that are invisible.[24]
    • When aggravated for long enough, the warden follows the player continuously, regardless of any other distractions.
    • Does not follow music from a jukebox.[25]
    • Investigates explosion noises.[25]
  • Incredibly strong, doing 30♥ × 15 damage, bringing players wearing full netherite armor from full health to 7♥♥♥♥ health points.
  • A mob designed to be extremely difficult to flee from, rather than fought against. Players are meant to sneak around the Warden when traversing the Deep Dark, avoiding any vibrations that would cause it to detect them.[26][27][28]
  • Has a way to counter the strategy of building up 4 blocks to avoid attacks.[29]
  • At least as fast as the player's walking speed.
  • Seems to have considerable knockback resistance.
  • When near the warden, the brightness of the light the player sees decreases, regardless of Night Vision or brightness settings.[30]
  • The warden's chest has a glowing core that appears to brighten and dim in tandem with the ambient lighting of the deep dark cave biome.
    • 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 (respectively). [note 2][31]
    • This would also make it as tall as the wither (when hostile).
  • Currently burns in sunlight.[25]
  • It is the only mob that spawns in the Deep Dark.[32]
  • Does not spawn like normal hostile mobs, but instead uses completely new spawning rules. [33]
  • The Warden isn’t needed to receive the advancement, Monsters Hunted. [34]

World generation

Deep Dark biome
Mesh caves
  • Seems to be possibly a large tunnel-like cave generation.
  • Not much is known about this cave variation yet, but it was confirmed on Twitter by Henrik Kniberg.[37]
  • Possibly contain "catacomb" style branching cave sections.
  • An improved version of mesh caves called noodle caves was added in 21w17a, being accessible via Caves & Cliffs world generation preview datapack.
General
  • Ore generation further rebalanced, and influences the surrounding stone.

Gameplay

Dimming of light[unofficial name]
  • While in the deep dark cave biome, the ambient lighting, such as the light given off by torches, occasionally dims temporarily, limiting the player's visibility. This serves as a warning that the warden is nearby.[38]

Planned changes

World generation

Example-of-other-stone-generation

An example of how the other stones may generate

The underground generates with more variation and diversity than the surface.[39]

Mineral veins
  • Some stone appears a little different and when that stone is mined, more of the ore should be found behind it.
Other Stones
  • Diorite or calcite and what appears to be tuff spawn in layers of stone in straight lines instead of splotches.

Unconfirmed features

Blocks

Lush caves overview concept art

Concept art showing how the spore blossom may open and close

Spore Blossom
  • Can close.
Azalea Log

Structures

Underground Cabin[unofficial name]

Further revisions

Java Edition

1.17
  • 1.17.1 made changes to some game mechanics and fixes bugs.

Bedrock Edition

1.17
  • 1.17.1 was released exclusively on Nintendo Switch to fix a bug in which players weren't able to connect to any server.
  • 1.17.2 was released to fix bugs related to world generation.
  • 1.17.10 added candles, brought additional parity with Java Edition, experimental features for 1.18.0 and fixed bugs.

Videos

Trailer

A trailer for Part I was released on June 8, 2021.

Showcases

Videos made by slicedlime:

Java Edition

Trivia

Gallery

Screenshots of the Caves & Cliffs Update from Minecraft Live 2020 and other sources:

Concept artwork

Artwork

Notes

  1. The warden does not attack other entities but it does follow the vibrations that they make. (For example, it follows a snowball but it breaks upon impact to a block rendering it non-attackable by the Warden.
  2. Height of the Warden is based from the image found on Twitter.

External links

References

  1. "Grab your nearest calendar and start circling with a vengeance: Caves & Cliffs: Part I arrives June 8th on both Java and Bedrock!"@Minecraft (Minecraft) on X, May 31, 2021
  2. "Minecraft: Caves & Cliffs Update FAQ" .
  3. "Minecraft Live: The Recap" – Minecraft.net, October 3, 2020
  4. "A Caves & Cliffs Announcement" – Minecraft on YouTube, April 14, 2021
  5. "My understanding is that Experimental Features only exist in Beta releases."@MattGartzke on X, December 2, 2020
  6. "Goats are still in the latest beta, they just can't be accessed from a full version, only betas."@MattGartzke on X, December 2, 2020
  7. "New world generation in Bedrock available for testing" – Minecraft.net, July 13, 2021
  8. a b "And yes, Glow Lichen is the new cave light source I mentioned in the cave prototype video a while back. We made them mainly for the not-yet-released larger caves. Glow Lichen generate naturally, but you can also grow it yourself and make eerie glowing cave paths :)"@henrikkniberg on X, January 20, 2021
  9. a b "Once Upon a Time in the Underground (Minecraft cave prototype) @ 0:27" – Henrik Kniberg on YouTube, October 8, 2020
  10. "And speaking of snow, yes, it will be snowier. We will also have a new block called 'powder snow'" — Vu Bui on "Minecraft Live 2020 @ 48:25" – Minecraft on YouTube
  11. "Sculk is looking a little more blue these days..."@kingbdogz on X, November 13, 2020
  12. a b "Small interesting tidbit: We made the design decision for Sculk Sensors to not be affected by ambient weather like rain. My logic for this is "habituation", where the Sculk Sensor essentially becomes used to the constant stimulus, no longer registering it as a vibration"@kingbdogz on X, October 12, 2020
  13. "I think this could be a really unfun mechanic if rain can suddenly mess up your redstone contraptions. This is also why Sculk Sensors don't react to each other, nor the Warden, since they're so accustomed to vibrations of their "species" that it's background noise they block out"@kingbdogz on X, October 12, 2020
  14. https://youtu.be/wSsDBpDQKaE&t=5m22s
  15. "the sounds in the Live video are not the sounds we will be using for the amethyst crystal blocks - those were placeholders, as with most things shown in Live ;)"@Cojomax99 on X, October 6, 2020
  16. "Oh forgot to mention in the changelog: we also added some more variation to the old cave carvers (width, heigh, floor cutoff, etc). Just to make them blend in a bit better with the noise caves instead of being instantly recognizable."@henrikkniberg on X, February 25, 2021
  17. "There it is. The crack carver. Watch your step, they can go REALLY deep!"@henrikkniberg on X, February 25, 2021
  18. "Minecraft 1.18 experimental snapshot" – Henrik Kniberg on YouTube, June 13, 2021
  19. a b c d "Caves, Cliffs & Other Updates: How We Make Minecraft - Episode 5" – November 27, 2020 on YouTube
  20. a b "While not related, Sculk name was inspired by Jeb's process with naming the Shulkers - he liked the word "Lurker", but changed it around a bit to feel new. Sculk is one letter changed of Skulk, meaning "keep out of sight, typically with a sinister or cowardly motive""@kingbdogz on X, October 13, 2020
  21. "That is actually a bone-like material, not End Stone :)"@kingbdogz on X, November 13, 2020
  22. "This is really cool, but won't be necessary because Sculk Veins (on the edge of growths) can be placed in all directions like Glow Lichen. That means you can find veins on top of anything, including Grimstone Bricks, which is a better approach than a specific block type."@kingbdogz on X, February 18, 2021
  23. "Feeling kinda short myself..."@kingbdogz on X, October 6, 2020
  24. "Wardens will still be able to detect entities that are invisible :)"@kingbdogz on X, October 26, 2020
  25. a b c "It will not. This is both for design reasons (we want it to be something more "physical", like motion), and for technical reasons. 2. It will probably investigate the location it "felt/heard" the vibration. 3. Nope, but in the current design it will burn in sunlight."@kingbdogz on X, May 21, 2021
  26. "I'd actually consider it something entirely new. The Warden is a force of nature, not a boss. When a tornado is barreling toward you, you don't try to kill it - you run away! The Warden is exactly the same. "@kingbdogz on X, October 3, 2020
  27. "You can befriend them by not making any noises :) They will never notice you!"@kingbdogz on X, March 30, 2021
  28. "Warden is not a combat situation. You will almost never, ever be fighting the Warden, that would be suicide. It's something that will stick around for some time before it ever moves away. During that whole time you'll be sorry if you didn't place torches."@kingbdogz on X, February 9, 2021
  29. "It absolutely has some tricks up its sleeves to counter that particular strategy :)"@kingbdogz on X, October 26, 2020
  30. "Interestingly enough, the Warden is tackling this with its darkness effect physically lowering your gamma while it's around... This evens the playing field for everyone who encounters it. "@kingbdogz on X, February 7, 2021
  31. "Looking kinda short there, Iron Golem."@kingbdogz on X, October 6, 2020
  32. a b [https://twitter.com/kingbdogz/status/1405552938005708803 "1) Deep Dark is the name for now, but like anything names can change. I like it though. 2) Deep Dark is one of the only Overworld biomes where only one type of enemy can spawn: Wardens. So no Zombies, Creepers, etc. 3) That is a mystery for you players to reveal in-game."] – @kingbdogz on X, June 17, 2021
  33. "They will not spawn like normal hostile mobs - not like anything that's in the game so far."@kingbdogz on X, June 17, 2021
  34. "No"@kingbdogz on X, July 7, 2021
  35. [https://twitter.com/kingbdogz/status/1362097448416649222 "Also, to clarify, the Deep Dark won't take up all of below y 0. Other biomes like Lush Caves and Dripstone Caves will be able to generate there too, it's just that Deep Dark can only be found below y 0. Grimstone is its natural stone ;)"] – @kingbdogz on X, February 17, 2021
  36. "The point is to have special loot in the chests. We don't want players encouraged to kill the Warden."@kingbdogz on X, February 16, 2021
  37. "Mesh caves. You'll see it later."@henrikkniberg on X, October 6, 2020
  38. "The mechanical purpose is to warn you that the Warden is nearby. You should get ready if you start to see pure darkness like that..."@kingbdogz on X, October 4, 2020
  39. https://youtu.be/DBvZ2Iqmm3M?t=11m04s
  40. https://youtu.be/DWZIfsaIgtE?t=2536
  41. "Minecraft Live: Caves & Cliffs - First Look @ 6:07" – Minecraft on YouTube, October 10, 2020
  42. "Yes, and yes. Was hoping to do a larger field trip to different countries with interesting caves, but covid got in the way so we had stay more local."@henrikkniberg on X, October 23, 2020
  43. "Mesh caves were inspired by this field trip."@henrikkniberg on X, October 21, 2020
  44. "I used to travel a lot in the past though (before becoming aware of climate change), and I like visiting caves, so I dug up memories from fascinating cave visits in Spain, South Africa, New Zealand, and British Virgin Isles and some other places."@henrikkniberg on X, October 23, 2020
  45. "Definitely one of my biggest inspirations! My favorite show + favorite game - it shaped a lot how I approached concepts for Minecraft artstyle"@cookiecat_9 on X, October 4, 2020
  46. https://twitter.com/kingbdogz/status/1367445839011004428
  47. "A Caves & Cliffs Announcement @ 4:46" – Minecraft on YouTube, April 14, 2021
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