With the new version 1.18 update, Minecraft is going all out with a ton of new features for its community. We have new biomes, mobs, and a whole new terrain generation lined up. This update is also going to be the one that brings Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition closer with identical world generation with the same seeds. There’s a lot to unpack here, and the excitement keeps rising as the 1.18’s release date gets closer. But worry not, our team is ready to cover every important detail you might want to know about the new Minecraft 1.18 Caves and Cliffs part 2 update. We have already covered the best Minecraft 1.18 seeds for you to get ready for the new world generation. Though, that’s not all. With the update just around the corner, let’s take a look at everything you can expect from the new Minecraft 1.18 Caves and Cliffs part 2 update. That includes the release date, new biomes, supported platforms, download links, and much more.
Minecraft 1.18 Update (Caves and Cliffs Part 2): All You Need to Know in 2021
The new Minecraft 1.18 update brings 8 new biomes, a new ore generation system, and realistic caves and cliffs, as the name suggests. And these are just the major features that we learned about from Minecraft version 1.17. There are several things to talk about in this article, so let’s first understand the specifics of the update itself before we jump into the new features.
What is Minecraft 1.18 Caves & Cliffs Part 2 Update
In June 2021, Minecraft released the version 1.17 update called Caves and Cliffs Part 1. It added minor but significant changes in the game, including new blocks, items, mobs, and plants. Expanding on that, the Minecraft 1.18 update majorly focuses on the new overworld and underground terrain generation in the game.
Minecraft is using both of these updates to address complaints about the boring underground exploration and the repetitive stagnant world generation of the overworld. Before the Caves & Cliffs update, Minecraft offered caves that didn’t look any better than random holes in the ground. Similarly, even the cliffs in-game were more or less non-existent.
Mojang and Microsoft decided to address these concerns and use the two Cliffs & Caves updates as a chance to make big changes in-game. A major example of such big changes is the addition of 8 new biomes in Minecraft 1.18. Unfortunately, there are a few new additions, like a Deep Dark biome, that got pushed to the 1.19 update due to development delays. Even without them, Minecraft 1.18 is still an update no one should miss out on.
Minecraft 1.18 Update Release Date
As per the latest official announcement, Minecraft 1.18 is going to be released on November 30, 2021. Consulting the release time of the previous edition, you can expect the update to go live between 10:00 am EST (7:00 am PST/ 8:30 pm IST) to 1:00 pm EST (10:00 am PST/ 11:30 pm IST).
Do keep in mind that the release time is the same for all editions of the game, but there can be delays depending upon the traffic on each platform’s server.
Minecraft 1.18: Supported Platforms
With the new 1.18 update, Minecraft is leaving behind a majority of older generations of the consoles, including Xbox 360, PS3, and others. As for PC users, you can expect the Java edition to work on macOS High Sierra or Windows 8 and previous versions too, but not at its peak quality. The platforms that are fully compatible with the Minecraft 1.18 update are:
For Minecraft Bedrock Edition:
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Playstation 5
- Playstation 4
- Xbox One
- Nintendo Switch
- iOS
- iPadOS
- Android
- Windows 10 & 11.
For Minecraft Java Edition:
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
Minecraft 1.18 Update: Download Links
Depending upon your platform, you can get Minecraft 1.18 update from the respective store on each platform. For the PC version, based on the experimental snapshots, we estimate the Minecraft 1.18 update size to be around 800 MBs or higher if you are updating from the 1.17 version. It might be smaller for the mobile version of the game due to the limited space of those devices.
If you are on one of the supported platforms, you can buy and download the game before the update releases next week:
1. Download Minecraft for PS4 & PS5 ($19.99)
2. Get Minecraft with Xbox Game Pass ($14.99/month | ₹699/month)
3. Download Minecraft for Xbox Series S, X, and One ($19.99)
4. Download Minecraft for Nintendo Switch ($29.99)
5. Download Minecraft for Android ($7.49)
6. Download Minecraft for iOS and iPad OS ($6.99)
7. Download Minecraft Bedrock for Windows 10 & 11 (Free trial, $26.99)
8. Download Minecraft Java for Windows, Linux, and macOS ($26.95)
Except for the Xbox Game Pass, Minecraft is a one-time purchase on all platforms. Some of its versions are even transferable. That means you can use a single purchase of the Java Edition on Linux, Windows, and macOS if you ever wish to switch your device in the future. The same stays true for the Xbox downloads, iOS and iPadOS purchases, and the Windows Bedrock Edition of the game.
New Biomes in Minecraft 1.18 Caves & Cliffs Part 2 Update
Now comes the part you have been waiting for. Minecraft 1.18 has tons of exciting new features for you to try. However, a majority of them revolve around the new Minecraft biomes that are getting added to the game. Fortunately, the snapshots allowed us to test them all for you. Let’s see what each of these biomes has to offer.
Lush Caves
Home to glow berries and spore blossom, this is probably the most beautiful biome of the Minecraft 1.18 update. These caves generate in different sizes but can be easily identified with the greenery in them. The ceilings are covered with spore blossoms, glow berries, and moss blocks. Meanwhile, the floor is made up of moss blocks, flowering azalea, and a lot of grass. You can also find ores like coal and copper in this biome. Other than moss blocks, you can also find stone blocks taking up a lot of space in this biome.
Dripstone Caves
In contrast to the lush caves, the Dripstone caves are the less colorful cave biome in this update. These caves are made up of stone, granite, and dripstone blocks. There are no plants in this biome, but you can find pointed dripstones (which replicate stalactites from real-world caves) in different sizes. Also, there are several underwater dripstone caves that you can stumble upon in the 1.18 update. In terms of ores, copper is most abundant in this biome.
Meadow
Meadow is a mountain-based biome that spawns between mountains and hills. At first glance, it looks like a combination of plains and flower forest biomes. You can also find flowers, grass, rabbits, and sheep in this biome. If there are any trees in here, they usually spawn with beehives on them.
Grove
Even though Grove is a snowy biome, it spawns on similar locations as a meadow. Located on the foothills of hills, these biomes are covered with snow. As for the blocks, they are made up of dirt and stone blocks that are covered with snow and packed ice. You can find spruce trees, foxes rabbits, and wolves in this biome.
Frozen Peaks
This biome gives us snowy mountains but with leveled smoother slopes. You can find snow and packed ice covering stone blocks in this biome. This biome focuses more on packed ice than snow. There are often goats wandering in the area, so you can choose to tame them or gather food and resources from them. Moreover, you can even find Pillager outposts in this new Minecraft 1.18 biome.
Jagged Peaks
Jagged Peak is a biome that truly defines the cliffs part of this 1.18 update. It provides us with realistic-looking mountains that are made out of stone and covered in the snow when you reach the peak. Unlike snowcapped mountains, the world generation of this biome isn’t smooth but rather irregular. Usually, powdered snow doesn’t spawn in this biome.
Stony Peaks
Similar to snowy peaks, this biome features stone at top of the mountain instead of snow. The mountains in this biome can be either flat and smooth or can have irregular ups and downs. Even though there is no snow here, you can still find goats in this biome. You can even find ores like coal on the surface level (see screenshot) of this biome.
Snowy Slopes
The last new biome in Minecraft 1.18 is also the most popular cliff biome. It gives us beautiful but steep mountain peaks with a lot of snow. There is even some powered snow layered on top of each other that can trap you within it. As for the mobs, you can easily find goats and rabbits in this biome.
Unused Biomes
As you will notice in our next section, the world generation of Minecraft has changed entirely in the 1.18 update. One such change ensures that the terrain height and biomes no longer affect each other. That means minor biomes that are generated due to terrain height will now become obsolete. These unused biomes include:
- Badlands Plateau
- Bamboo Jungle Hills, Birch Hills, and Dark Forest Hills
- Desert Hills and Lakes
- Giant Spruce and Giant Tree Taiga Hills
- Gravelly Mountains
- Modified Jungle Edge and Modified Jungle
- Modified Badlands Plateau and Wooded Badlands Plateau
- Mountain Edge
- Mushroom Field Shore
- Shattered Savanna Plateau
- Snowy Mountains and Snowy Taiga Mountains
- Taiga Hills and Mountains
- Various Hill variants, including Jungle, Snowy Taiga, Tall Birch, Swamp, and Wooded Hills
World Generation Changes in Minecraft 1.18 Update
To implement tall peeks and a new underground system, Minecraft developers decided to change the world generation completely. Even though all these changes are for the best, some of them can be a little heavy for your system. Fortunately, installing Optifine in Minecraft can help you increase your FPS and improve performance. With that out of the way, let’s understand the new world generation changes in the Minecraft 1.18 update.
Terrain and Biomes
The first major change is how terrains generate in Minecraft 1.18. Terrains are the physical features or how a landmass is generated in the game. It involves mountains, hills, and plateaus generated in the area. In the earlier versions, the game focused more on the biomes, and each biome had its limited variety of terrain. That’s no longer the case.
Now, the terrain generation is given a priority. So, instead of having separate terrains, each Minecraft biome will automatically adjust itself to whatever terrain it is on. It’s the reason why you can now see plains and forest biomes spawning as mountains throughout your overworld in Minecraft. The screenshot above is a prime example of the new terrain-based world generation.
World Limit Increased
For both Minecraft Java and Bedrock editions, the total built height has been expanded to 384 blocks. It means the lowest point and the highest point in a Minecraft world can now have 384 blocks between them. This extension allows deeper caves and higher mountains to easily form in the game.
The highest point at which you can place a block in Minecraft is now at 320 blocks. It’s also called the maximum block height. Meanwhile, the deepest point before the void is located at -64 blocks. It’s known as the bedrock layer of Minecraft. This additional depth means a complete overall change in ore generation too, which we will cover later in this article.
Seed Generation
The seeds in Minecraft 1.18 use a new random world number generator. It means that the worlds you get each time will be more random than earlier. It also means that none of the best Minecraft seeds from earlier versions will look the same on this version. Thankfully, you also won’t have to look for Java and Bedrock Edition seeds separately after this update.
Other Major Changes in Minecraft 1.18 Caves & Cliffs Part 2 Update
The biomes are the biggest feature that most players are excited about in the new update. But that’s not all. Let’s go over each of the major new features that Minecraft 1.18 has to offer.
Java and Bedrock Compatibility
If you are someone like me who isn’t a fan of having two separate Minecraft editions, this update is perfect for you. One major way the 1.18 update brings Java and Bedrock Minecraft closer is with world generation. Most Minecraft 1.18 seeds generate worlds that look very similar in both editions of the game. The worlds still won’t be exactly the same, but they wouldn’t feel like two separate seeds either. An example of this improved compatibility between the Java and Bedrock editions can be seen below:
It’s one of the most requested features of the game. Most pro players have waited for this since the launch of Minecraft Bedrock back in 2011. The new Minecraft for Windows also celebrates both editions by providing them on the same game launcher. With such progress, we can certainly hope for crossplay between the two in the coming years.
Expanded Ore Distribution
Due to changes in world limits and the introduction of the new cave biomes, the ore distribution of Minecraft has changed a lot. The most significant change is that the ore veins or the groups of several ore blocks now generate longer chains.
Each ore has undergone unique individual changes as well. Let’s go over each of them to understand the new ora system better:
- Diamond ores now only generate below Y=16. They generate more as groups and in higher quantity near the bedrock layer at Y=-64.
- Coal ores generate underground on top of mountains too. You can find them at heights as high as Y=256 and as low as Y=0.
- Copper ores also have a diverse range of generation, going from Y=-16 to Y=112. You can find them in dripstone and lush caves too.
- The popular iron ores generate at various places in Minecraft 1.18, starting from as low as Y=-32 and going as high as Y=256. Its quantity and chances of spawning vary a lot at different heights. You can find most iron at Y=56.
- Gold ores usually generate between levels Y=-64 and Y=32. Not to forget, you can find more gold in the badlands biome. There, it spawns between Y=79 and Y=256.
- Restone ores generate between Y=-32 and Y=-64. You can find it generating most closer to the bedrock level, often next to diamond ores.
- The least popular but equally important emerald ore has an inverse relation with height. Its generation decreases as you go deeper. It usually generates between Y=-16 and Y=256.
- Finally, the lapis lazuli ores generate between Y= -64 and 32. Unlike earlier versions of the game, it’s no longer rare in world generation.
New Music in Minecraft 1.18
As for the music we can manually use in the game, there’s only one new addition. The update adds a new music disc that has blue and green colors in its rings and is called “Otherside”. But fortunately, that’s not all. Minecraft is offering us plenty of new in-game music that you will notice right from the home menu. And as the case is with each new biome, Minecraft is giving us new music for each of the new in-game biomes.
The tracks are titled “Comforting Memories”, “One More Day”, “Wending”, “Stand Tall”, “Left to Bloom”, “Infinite Amethyst”, “One More Day”, “Floating Dream”, and “An Ordinary Day”. These 8 new music tracks will also randomly play on the main menu. Meanwhile, you can listen to each of them in different new biomes. Some even have overlapping biomes, so you will hear the music that the game randomly selects.
Other Minor But Important Changes & Additions
- The new spawn algorithm ensures that the player doesn’t spawn in the ocean, lava, or similar awkward locations.
- The Java version has a new “/jfr” command that records in-game events like chunk generation, server traffic, and load time among others.
- There are new in-game achievements too, including “caves & cliffs”, “feels like home”, “star trader”, and “sound of music”.
- You can find Pillager outposts in almost any of the mountain biomes. Most that we noticed were in Frozen Peaks.
- The Java edition’s debug screen (“F3 key”) now also shows terrain, biome builder, and multinoise information that includes features about the biome placement.
- The settings also received a few new options like chunk builder, lightening toggle, audio outpost, and simulation distance.
- The video settings received an option to turn on/ off the autosave indicator for single-player mode.
- Like every other update, there are dozens of minor texture and spawn changes for a few blocks, mobs, and structures. You can even find hundreds of bug fixes in the logs of this update.
Learn All About Minecraft 1.18 Caves & Cliffs Update
With the update just around the corner, there’s no more waiting for the Minecraft community. The Minecraft 1.18 Caves & Cliffs Part 2 update is one of the largest game updates since the Adventure update from 2011. The future of Minecraft worlds (or seeds) has changed completely, and this is just the surface of what this game is capable of. You can push your game version to its limit by installing Forge in Minecraft to use the best Minecraft mods.
If you are someone who doesn’t want to do the tiring task of installing individual mods, installing one of these best Minecraft modpacks might be the right option. But don’t get too distracted, as Minecraft 1.18 will demand a lot of exploration time as well. So, feel free to reach us in the comments if you face any trouble while installing or exploring the new update.
