Minecraft 1.18 update: Everything we know

These are the features we expect to see in Caves & Cliffs part 2.

(Image credit: Mojang)

Looking forward to the Minecraft 1.18 update? Caves & Cliffs part 2 may still be months away, but we've already got a pretty good idea of what's coming to the game. As you might expect, there are new mountainous and cave-based biomes, new mobs such as as the Warden, and even new blocks and items.

Version 1.17 already added many of the mobs and plants that will inhabit the upcoming biomes once the update goes live later this year, but getting an idea of where they'll fit in is good to know. This where the experimental snapshots have been great, giving us a sneak peak of what to expect in version 1.18.

As of this year's Minecraft Live show, we have unfortunately found out that the big, scary Wardens and their Deep Dark biome have been delayed from this version. They're now coming in the 1.19 Wild Update, which Mojang has announced will be coming in 2022.

With update 1.18 now so close, here's everything you should know about what Caves & Cliffs part 2 is bringing to the game.

When is the Minecraft 1.18 release date? 

No date has been set for Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs Part 2 update, but it's expected to arrive later in 2021. 

While the full version is still several months away, you can take a very early look at new terrain and features in Mojang's first 1.18 experimental snapshot. It introduces new cave generation, mountain and cave biomes, local water and lava levels, ore veins, and several other world generation details we've explained more down below.

NEW BIOMES

Minecraft 1.18: New and updated cave biomes 

Caves, in general, will get a complete overhaul, giving them more room to generate and fit in with the new individual biomes. Many caves will contain aquifers or bodies of water independent of sea level, and deepslate will replace stone from Y=0 to Y=-7. Additionally, three new types of noise caves will be introduced:  

Cheese caves: Huge caves containing aquifers and ore.

Spaghetti caves: These are long and thin and may have small aquifers.

Noodle caves: Similar to Spaghetti caves but much smaller.

Lush Caves

Caves aren't new to Minecraft, but they're usually fraught with danger, especially if you stumble on an old mine. The Lush Caves biome changes all that. While there are likely still dangers to look out for, this new biome gives the underground world of Minecraft a much more welcoming feel, adding an abundance of plant life to an otherwise sterile environment.

Lush Caves are where you're most likely to find Minecraft axolotls—currently only found in underground water sources—and cave vines, glow berries, and drip leaves should also grow in abundance here. You'll be able to spot the location of Lush Caves by the Azalea trees that grow above them in the overworld terrain.

Dripstone Cave

The second new biome is full of pointed dripstone and dripstone blocks. These will form stalagmites and stalactites to give some variance to the usual blocky terrain. Pointed dripstone creates the spikey interior of these caves. It acts much like vines, breaking completely if one section is destroyed.

You should also be aware of the potential dangers that this environment can have—falling into a pit of stalagmites will hurt.

Mountain sub-biomes 

Caves aren't the only things getting a makeover in the Minecraft 1.18 update—it is called 'Caves & Cliffs' after all. There are six new 'sub-biomes' heading to the mountainous regions:

• Mountain Meadow: Low mountain regions. Various flowers and sweet berry bushes can be found here.
• Mountain Grove: This area is the first snow-covered mountainous area. You should see plenty of rabbits and spruce trees here.
• Snowy Slopes: Higher still, Snowy Slopes are home to goats, snow, and ice.
• Lofty Peaks: These snow-covered peaks will only generate if the mountain is high enough and the surrounding biomes are warm. 
• Snow Capped Peaks: This biome will only generate if the surrounding biomes are too cold for Lofty Peaks. You can find snow blocks and packed ice here.
• Stony Peaks: This biome is a version of lofty/snowcapped peaks that features stone and gravel instead of snow and ice, and is used to avoid temperature clashes such as a snowcapped peak in the middle of a jungle.

OTHER BLOCKS AND ITEMS

Blocks and items coming in Minecraft 1.18 

The first half of the Caves & Cliffs update came with lots of new blocks and items, but update 1.18 is much more focused on those big biome and world generation changes. One thing we do know will be coming is ore veins.

Ore veins

Iron and copper ore veins are snake-like ore formations that should yield a lot of valuable ore when found. At Y=0 and above, ore veins contain copper ore and granite. Below Y=0, the ore vein will give you iron ore and tuff.

MINECRAFT 1.18 SEED PARITY

(Image credit: Mojang)

During the Minecraft Live 2021 show, Mojang announced another large detail for Minecraft 1.18. As of the second half of Caves & Cliffs, Minecraft's two main versions—Java and Bedrock—will share almost identical world seeds. 

Minecraft world seeds allow you to create a specific world by entering a number in the new world menu when creating it. Any save file started by using a particular world seed will be identical to any other using the same seed. That only works if you're using the same version of Minecraft though. You can see list of best Minecraft seeds that Java and Bedrock currently have different world seeds. 

For version 1.18, Java and Bedrock versions of Minecraft will have almost identical worlds generated by the same seed. Mojang says of complete seed parity that "We're not 100% there yet, but close. It's very similar. Details will be different." You can see just how close your Java and Bedrock worlds will be in one of the examples up there that Mojang shared. Can you spot the differences?

WARDEN (DELAYED)

(Image credit: Mojang)

The Warden mob has been delayed

The Warden was originally announced as part of the Caves & Cliffs update, planned to come in the 1.18 version. As of this year's Minecraft live, Mojang announced that the Warden and the Deep Dark biome it hails from are both being pushed back to the 1.19 Wild Update.

As they are found so deep underground, Wardens are blind, responding to vibrations and movement instead of light. If you get near one, the area will dim, regardless of any light source used. You'll know if one is aware of your presence as the 'horns' on its head will glow and rattle. 

They're pretty scary, having tons of health and dealing massive damage. They're big, too, standing taller than an Iron Golem. They'll also chase after you if you don't crouch to sneak past them. Luckily they can be tricked by throwing objects like eggs or snowballs