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This article is about the updates released in 2021. For the soundtrack, see Minecraft: Caves & Cliffs (Original Game Soundtrack). For the advancement, see Advancement § Caves & Cliffs.
For guides about all content in this update, see Java Edition guides/Caves & Cliffs and Bedrock Edition guides/Caves & Cliffs.

Go underwater to team up with the axolotl and meet the glow squid. Tread carefully on higher ground because the goats might ram you!

minecraft.net on Caves & Cliffs: Part I

Explore bigger mountains, caves, and biomes along with an increased world height and updated terrain generation in the Caves & Cliffs Update.

minecraft.net on Caves & Cliffs: Part II

Caves & Cliffs is the name of two major themed updates for Java and Bedrock editions. The first part was released as Java Edition 1.17 and Bedrock Edition 1.17.0 on June 8, 2021,[1] which focused on blocks and mobs. The second part was released as Java Edition 1.18 and Bedrock Edition 1.18.0[2] on November 30, 2021,[3] and brought revamped overworld generation, including new caves and mountains.

Caves & Cliffs was announced in Minecraft Live 2020,[4] and on April 14, 2021, Mojang Studios announced that the update would be split into two portions due to the amount and complexity of content, as well as team health.[5] It was later announced in Minecraft Live 2021 that the Deep Dark portion, as well as certain items, of the Caves & Cliffs update would be delayed until The Wild Update to improve quality.

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. Part II started development with 1.18 Experimental Snapshot 1, which was released on July 13, 2021, followed by the first pre-release on November 11, 2021, and the first release candidate on November 25, 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.[6][7] In Part II, development continued with beta 1.17.30.23, which was released on August 25, 2021. In 1.17.10, released on July 13, 2021, non-beta users were able to test out most of early Part II features behind experimental gameplay.[8]

Both Java and Bedrock editions received Caves & Cliffs: Part I on June 8, 2021, and Caves & Cliffs: Part II on November 30, 2021.[9]

Additionally, features from Caves & Cliffs: Part I, were released for Minecraft Education in 1.17.30 on November 2, 2021. Part II features were released in 1.18.32 on August 9, 2022.

For China Edition, Caves & Cliffs: Part I was released on January 21, 2022, and Part II on August 26, 2022.

Notable features[]

New blocks
New items
New mobs
New non-mob entities
New world generation
New biomes
New soundtracks
  • A new music disc from Lena Raine titled "otherside"

Further revisions[]

Java Edition[]

1.17
  • 1.17.1 made changes to some game mechanics and fixes bugs.
1.18

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.
  • 1.17.11 was released to fix some critical bugs.
  • 1.17.30 was released to bring additional parity with Java Edition, new features behind the experimental toggle, and fixed bugs.
  • 1.17.32 was released to fix some critical bugs after the release of 1.17.30.
  • 1.17.33 was released exclusively on Amazon Fire devices to fix a bug in which players weren't able to launch the game.
  • 1.17.34 was released to fix a bug in which owned content did not appear in the inventory after redeeming a retail code.
  • 1.17.40 was released to fix bugs and add more features behind the experimental toggle.
  • 1.17.41 was released to fix some critical bugs after the release of 1.17.40.
1.18
  • 1.18.1 and 1.18.2 were released to fix some critical bugs after the release of 1.18.0.
  • 1.18.10 was released to bring more parity with Java Edition and fix bugs.
  • 1.18.11 was released exclusively on Nintendo Switch to fix bugs.
  • 1.18.12 was released to fix bugs.
  • 1.18.30 was released to add new Create New World UI, more parity with Java Edition such as 64-bit seeds, hunger changes, and fixes bugs.
  • 1.18.31 was released to add the Spectator mode experimental toggle and fix bugs.
  • 1.18.32 was released exclusively on Android, Fire OS, and Nintendo Switch to improve game performance.
  • 1.18.33 was released exclusively on Nintendo Switch to fix bugs.

Videos[]

Trailer[]

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

A trailer for Part II was released on November 30, 2021.

Showcases[]

Videos made by slicedlime:

Java Edition[]

1.17[]
1.18[]

Other[]

Soundtrack[]

Videos uploaded to Lena Raine – Topic and Various Artists - Topic by Ingrooves

Plays in snowy slopes, jagged peaks, frozen peaks, stony peaks, and the title screen.

Plays in meadows, lush caves, and the title screen.

Not present in the game at the time of the album's release.

Plays in groves, jagged peaks, stony peaks, dripstone caves, and the title screen.

Plays in groves, dripstone caves, and the title screen.

Plays in meadows, snowy slopes, lush caves, and the title screen.

The fourteenth music disc added to the game, obtained from stronghold and dungeon chests.

Plays in jagged peaks and lush caves.

Plays in groves.

Plays in snowy slopes, dripstone caves, and lush caves.

Trivia[]

  • Mojang Studios employees explored real caves to research for the update. This helped give inspiration and ideas for the update, including for the noodle caves (previously called mesh caves).[10][11]
  • The art style of the concept art for Caves & Cliffs was inspired by the concept art of the Adventure Time episode Diamonds and Lemons, which was a crossover with Minecraft.[13]
  • Archaeology and Bundles were originally planned to be added in this update, but were delayed to a later version when the update was split.[14]
Trailer trivia

Gallery[]

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

Concept artwork[]

Artwork[]

Comparison artwork[]

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. "Caves & Cliffs Update Part II is coming" – Minecraft.net, November 17, 2021
  4. "Minecraft Live: The Recap" – Minecraft.net, October 3, 2020
  5. "A Caves & Cliffs Announcement" – Minecraft on YouTube, April 14, 2021
  6. "My understanding is that Experimental Features only exist in Beta releases."@MattGartzke on X, December 2, 2020
  7. "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
  8. "New world generation in Bedrock available for testing" – Minecraft.net, July 13, 2021
  9. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/caves---cliffs-update-part-ii-coming
  10. "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
  11. "Mesh caves were inspired by this field trip."@henrikkniberg on X, October 21, 2020
  12. "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
  13. "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
  14. "A Caves & Cliffs Announcement" – Minecraft on YouTube, April 14, 2021

External links[]


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