Minecraft 1.18 Caves and Cliffs Update part 2 release date & patch notes

Following on from June's Minecraft Caves and Cliffs part one update, the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs part two update allows you to explore underneath your pre-existing builds in ways that you never could before, and those aren't the only major changes the update has wrought.

There is a lot of information to parse here, so we've pulled together some important details (and links to the Bedrock and Java patch notes) for you in the handy guide below.

Minecraft Caves & Cliffs part 2 update reveals 1.18 patch notes

As Mojang asked its players in the aforementioned blog post: "Where are you going to begin? Are you going to channel your inner spelunker and burrow into elaborate cave systems? Will you be scaling the higher-than-ever mountains? Maybe you’ve been dreaming big and will go straight into mining large ore veins?"

Whichever part of the Minecraft 1.18 update interests you the most, it's worth taking a few minutes to read the official Caves and Cliffs part two patch notes for your Minecraft version of choice.

Mojang has shared Bedrock patch notes and Java patch notes for the 1.18 update, and you can access them at those links. Have a skim through and you'll see that a whole lot of stuff has changed in this update!

The Bedrock patch notes begin with these handy bullet points, which give you an idea of the overarching aims of this update:

• Increased the world height and depth, adding 50% more vertical space to build and explore
• New cave generation to explore below your existing worlds
• New cave and mountain biomes like Lush Caves and Jagged Peaks
• Drastically updated and improved biome, cave, and ore generation
• Added several new music tracks to enjoy during gameplay
• Fixed over 70 bugs, issues, and parity changes

Mojang has also released an official Caves and Cliffs part two FAQ page, so if you have any questions, click that link and they might be answered by the developers themselves. Or we've got more info for you below.

When was the Minecraft Caves & Cliffs Part 2 release date?

The Minecraft Caves & Cliffs Part 2 release date took place on Tuesday 30th November 2021, just as the developers from Mojang had promised, with the Java and Bedrock editions of the game both receiving the update on the same day.

That means that big Minecraft update has already happened, and we've got all the essential information for you in this article right here. Stick around, then!

What time was the Minecraft 1.18 update?

The Minecraft 1.18 Caves and Cliffs update part two went live at around 4pm GMT on 30th November 2021 from a UK time zone perspective.

The developers from Mojang confirmed the successful launch with a tweet at five minutes past the hour:

What is in Minecraft Caves & Cliffs Part 2?

The official Minecraft Twitter account told us prior to the launch: "In Caves & Cliffs: Part II you’ll reach stunning new heights and discover deeper ways to hit rock bottom – quite literally! Our new world generation will be the perfect playground for your magnificent builds, wondrous adventures, and spectacular stories!"

There are new types of caves, and one of them is called a Noise Cave. These are generated underground and have two variations named cheese and spaghetti - a great combination on the dinner plate and in Minecraft.

Also on the cave front is the Lush Cave and Dripstone Cave. The former is a temperate caved that is filled with all sorts of things from vines and moss to pore Blossoms and Azalea trees. As for the Dripstone cave, they are where the new Dripstone blocks will be located - you probably could have worked that one out for yourselves though.

There is also a new bundle feature being added to Minecraft that will put the focus on inventory management. It will allow you to create bags that can hold way more items than we are used to and they can be stored in chests.

And there is a new style of Mountains in Minecraft 1.18 too. Different layers of each mountain will be made up from five new sub-biomes and we know what they are!

• Mountain Meadow (Y=100-140) - You will find flowers and sweet berry bushes here.
• Mountain Grove (Y=110-140) - Head here for polar bears and rabbits.
• Snowy Slopes (Y=140-170) - Goats live in this snowy location.
• Lofty Peaks (Y=170+) - Peaks of stone, snow, and ice await you here.
• Snow Capped Peaks (Y=170+) - If you want packed ice, this is where to go!
  

What's the latest Minecraft 1.18 news?

With Minecraft 1.18 finally launching recently, it shouldn't come as any surprise that Mojang has been lifting the lid on the big Caves and Cliffs part two update.

There is now a lengthy prep guide on the official Minecraft website that offers advice on the following topics:

• How to explore your existing Realm after the update, rather than restarting
• Knowledge about the Door trick, and why you should only try it in Java (not Bedrock)
• Tips around Java plug-ins and whether they will be ready to go at launch
• Advice for navigating your new surroundings, post-update

Mojang has also shared the developer diary below, which is focused on what will happen to your existing worlds after the update...

Minecraft Caves & Cliffs Part 2 trailer

Still hungry for more Minecraft 1.18 news? Take a look at the trailer below to get a better look at what arrived in the game with Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs part two update.

One thing we have learned recently is that the Deep Dark will not feature in the Caves & Cliffs Part 2 update, with that particular upgrade being pushed back to 2022 instead. This means the Warden release date is pushed back to next year too.

What's next for Minecraft?

Inevitably, now that Minecraft 1.18 has come out, fans will start thinking even more about Minecraft 1.19 - what do we know about the next big update?

Well, we know that 1.19 is official called Minecraft: The Wild Update, and we know it will bring a combination of beautiful exploration and scary encounters into the game. The Deep Dark and the Warden mob boss are both slated to arrive in The Wild Update, and that's probably only the tip of the iceberg!

We'll be sure to let you know when we learn more about the future of Minecraft.

Read more on Minecraft: How to tame a fox in Minecraft | How to make a saddle in Minecraft | Is Minecraft free? | Minecraft cheat codes and commands | Best Minecraft servers | Minecraft Realms | Best Minecraft seeds | Best Minecraft Mods | Best Minecraft shaders | Best Minecraft skins | Best Minecraft texture packs | Minecraft Enchantments | Minecraft house Blueprints | Minecraft How to Train Your Dragon DLC | How to build a house in Minecraft | How to install Minecraft Forge | How to make a Minecraft map | Minecraft Villager jobs explained | Minecraft Eye of Ender | Minecraft Live 2021 | Minecraft versions explained | Minecraft skin editor | Minecraft toys | Minecraft Dungeons update | Minecraft Xbox Game Pass for PC release date | Minecraft Wild Update | Minecraft Warden release date | Minecraft advent calendars | How to teleport in Minecraft

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