Minecraft’s Caves & Cliffs part 2 update overhauls world generation

Minecraft’s highly-anticipated Caves & Cliffs part 2 update has finally arrived, and the complete overhaul to world generation makes the sandbox survival game feel more magical than ever.

Minecraft has managed to stay relevant for over ten years thanks to its massive periodic content updates. The developers at Mojang often ask the Minecraft community which elements of the game they would like to see updated. And then Mojang focuses all of its attention on that one area.

This method of updating has led to some of Minecraft’s most game-changing updates. Update Aquatic overhauled the game’s oceans, Village and Pillage added new layers to Minecraft’s local inhabitants, and the Nether Update gave players new reasons to return to the game’s hellscape. However, Minecraft’s Caves & Cliffs part 1 update served as a preview for Mojang’s most ambitious update yet.

Caves & Cliffs part 1 was a smaller update that showcased some of the new blocks and mobs coming to Minecraft. The massive overhaul to world generation wasn’t quite ready to be released, but Mojang didn’t want players to go too long without new content. Now that Minecraft 1.18 is live, players can explore all that the Caves & Cliffs update has to offer.

What to expect in Minecraft’s Caves & Cliffs part 2

As the update’s title states, Minecraft 1.18 focused on revamping the game’s cave systems and mountain tops. And as with previous updates, Mojang made massive changes to how worlds generate. These changes include the maximum world height and depth being increased by 64 blocks. Mountains can now generate up to build height and there are various new Mountain biomes.

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Minecraft mountains are now these beautiful sprawling environments that are rich in precious materials such as iron, coal, and emeralds. However, they are also a lot more dangerous. Their increased height and steep cliff faces make players much more susceptible to fatal fall damage. And as players reach the summit of some mountains, they could fall victim to natural snow traps and freeze to death.

Yet, this update’s most exciting and treacherous new features are hidden underground in the all-new cave generations. While the old cave generations were winding corridors of similar-sized pathways, the new caves allow for more fluid exploration. That’s because these new caves are massive underground caverns that feature lakes, new biomes, and tons of resources. This also means that there is a lot more space for hostile mobs to spawn.

Minecraft Caves & Cliffs changes hostile mob spawns

Luckily, Mojang updated how hostile mobs spawn in 1.18. Creepers, Zombies, Skeletons, and Spiders will now only spawn if there is a light level of 0. This means unlit caves are a lot more dangerous, but you won’t have to worry as much about properly lighting your base.

Before 1.18, hostile mobs could spawn on blocks that had a light level of 7 or less. Now, Minecraft’s spawning mechanics are a little more lenient.

So, what are you waiting for? You can now experience the new Caves & Cliffs update in both Minecraft Java and Bedrock editions. And if you’ve been playing on a world pre-1.18, the new generations will seamlessly integrate into your world.

For more Minecraft, check out the best world seeds for 1.18, and stay tuned for future news and guides.