Caves & Cliffs, also called the Underground Update, is a two-part major update for Minecraft’s Java and Bedrock editions, released in 2021. The update focuses on enhancing caves, mountains, mobs, and terrain generation. Part I emphasizes new blocks and mobs, while Part II brings major world generation changes including larger caves and updated mountains.
Release Dates:
- Part I: June 8, 2021
- Part II: November 30, 2021
Versions:
- Java Edition 1.17 (Part I), 1.18 (Part II)
- Bedrock Edition 1.17.0 (Part I), 1.18.0 (Part II)
Also Known As: Underground Update
Announcement & Development:
Caves & Cliffs was revealed at Minecraft Live 2020. Due to the large amount of content and complexity, Mojang decided to split the update into two parts, ensuring quality and team health. Features initially planned for Caves & Cliffs, like the Deep Dark biome and certain items, were postponed to The Wild Update.
- Java Edition: Part I started with snapshot 20w45a (Nov 4, 2020). Pre-release began May 27, 2021, and release candidate on June 4, 2021. Part II started with 1.18 Experimental Snapshot 1 (July 13, 2021). First pre-release: Nov 11, 2021. First release candidate: Nov 25, 2021.
- Bedrock Edition: Part I development began with beta 1.16.200.52 (Oct 28, 2020). Many Part I features were behind experimental gameplay toggle until full release. Part II continued with beta 1.17.30.23 (Aug 25, 2021).
Education & China Editions:
- Part I features for Education Edition were released in 1.17.30 (Nov 2, 2021), Part II in 1.18.32 (Aug 9, 2022).
- China Edition: Part I released Jan 21, 2022; Part II on Aug 27, 2022.
Additions
Blocks
- Azalea & Flowering Azalea: Found in lush caves; bone meal on moss block spawns azalea tree.
- Azalea Leaves / Flowering Azalea Leaves: Part of azalea tree.
- Calcite: Found around amethyst geodes and stony peaks.
- Candle: Crafted from honeycomb and string; can be lit, dyed, and placed on cakes.
- Cave Vines: Planted using glow berries.
- Big & Small Dripleaf: Found in lush caves; can be used as temporary platforms.
- Dripstone Block: Found in dripstone caves; used to grow pointed dripstone.
- Hanging Roots: Found under azalea trees.
- Lightning Rod: Crafted with copper; redirects lightning strikes.
- Moss Block & Moss Carpet: Found in lush caves; moss spreads with bone meal.
- Pointed Dripstone: Forms stalactites, stalagmites, or pillars.
- Powder Snow: Causes slow movement and freeze damage; found in snowy biomes.
- Rooted Dirt: Found near azalea trees; can spawn post-generation.
- Sculk Sensor: Command-only block detecting vibrations.
- Smooth Basalt, Spore Blossom, Tinted Glass, Tuff: Various new blocks for underground biomes.
Amethyst Geode Blocks:
- Amethyst Bud, Amethyst Cluster, Block of Amethyst, Budding Amethyst.
Copper Blocks:
- Copper Ore, Deepslate Copper Ore, Copper Block, Cut Copper (with stairs/slabs).
Deepslate Blocks:
- Deepslate, Infested Deepslate, Cobbled/Polished Deepslate, Bricks, Tiles, Chiseled.
Raw Mineral Blocks:
- Raw Iron, Raw Gold, Raw Copper.
Items
- Amethyst Shard: From mining clusters; used in tinted glass and spyglass.
- Bucket of Axolotl: Transports axolotls.
- Copper Ingot: Smelted from copper; used in blocks, rods, and spyglass.
- Glow Berries: Restore hunger; grow on cave vines.
- Glow Ink Sac: From glow squids; makes glowing signs and item frames.
- Powder Snow Bucket: Places powder snow.
- Spyglass: Crafted with amethyst shard and copper ingots.
- Music Disc: otherside by Lena Raine.
Spawn Eggs: Axolotl, Glow Squid, Goat.
Mobs
- Axolotl: Spawns in lush caves; assists in combat; five colors; can be bred with tropical fish.
- Glow Squid: Spawns in dark underwater areas; drops glow ink sacs.
- Goat: Mountain biomes; can ram entities, including players; normal and screaming variants.
Non-Mob Entities
- Glow Item Frame: Makes items glow in the dark.
- Marker (Java Edition): Server-side technical entity for map-making and custom use.
World Generation
- Ore Distribution: Overhaul for caves and mountains.
- World Height: Expanded top-to-bottom; caves now in stone or deepslate layers.
- Aquifers: Independent water bodies below the surface.
- Cave Types: Cheese (large), Spaghetti (thin), Noodle (thin and smaller).
- Ore Changes: Coal, Copper, Iron, Gold, Lapis, Redstone, Diamond, Emerald all have updated generation patterns.
- Chunk Blending: Old and new world chunks merge seamlessly.
- Bedrock Layer: Converted to deepslate in older worlds.
Biomes
Cave Biomes:
- Dripstone Caves: Underground; features dripstone, copper ore, water.
- Lush Caves: Underground; humid areas with azalea, moss, dripleaf, glow berries; axolotls spawn.
Mountain Biomes:
- Jagged Peaks: Sharp peaks; goats spawn.
- Frozen Peaks: Smooth snowy peaks; goats spawn.
- Snowy Slopes: Adjacent to plains; goats and rabbits spawn.
- Grove: Near snowy slopes; generates snow blocks and powder snow.
- Meadow: Elevated grassy area; generates flowers.
- Stony Peaks: Surrounded by warm biomes; generates stone, gravel, calcite.
Generated Structures:
- Amethyst Geode: Underground; smooth basalt, calcite, amethyst blocks.
- Azalea Tree: Found in lush caves.
Soundtrack
- Lena Raine: Stand Tall, Left to Bloom, Wending, Infinite Amethyst, One More Day, otherside
- Kumi Tanioka: Floating Dream, Comforting Memories, An Ordinary Day
- Tracks play in specific biomes (snowy slopes, groves, lush caves, dripstone caves, meadows).
Changes
- Ore shapes updated for colorblind accessibility.
- Iron and gold ores drop raw minerals instead of blocks for Fortune compatibility.
- Mineshafts updated with oak logs and chains.
- Copper oxidation can now be scraped or de-waxed with an axe.
Further Revisions
Java Edition:
- 1.17.1: Bug fixes and minor mechanic changes.
- 1.18.x: Fog, custom world generation, bug fixes, /placefeature command, spectator mode toggle.
Bedrock Edition:
- 1.17.x & 1.18.x: Bug fixes, experimental features, parity with Java, candles, world generation updates, performance improvements.
Videos
Trailers:
- Part I: Released June 8, 2021
- Part II: Released Nov 30, 2021
Showcases (Java Edition):
- 1.17: What’s New, Technical News, Custom World Changes
- 1.18: What’s New, Ore Distribution, Texture Updates, Technical News
Other: Dev Diaries & Special videos on blocks, mobs, world generation.
Trivia
- Developers explored real caves for inspiration, influencing noodle cave design.
- Concept art style inspired by Adventure Time episode Diamonds and Lemons.
- Features like Deep Dark, Sculk, archaeology, goat horns, and bundles were delayed to later updates.
- Trailer easter eggs: Capricornus constellation (sea-goat) and Necromancer laugh from Minecraft Dungeons.