Caves and Cliffs part 2 is on the way — Minecraft 1.18 pre-release

Minecraft’s Caves and Cliffs update part 2 is closer than ever as it moves away from snapshots and into pre-releases

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November 11th, 2021 saw the release of the first Minecraft 1.18 part 2 pre-release for Java edition which is a strong indication we’re getting ever closer to an official release date for Caves and Cliffs part 2.

Caves and Cliffs part 2 is the next major update to come to Minecraft, and is going to completely change the way you play the popular survival game with an overhaul to the world height, cave types and new biomes to explore.

Minecraft 1.18 pre-release 1

The Minecraft 1.18 pre-release 1 is essentially the first full version of the new update. Before now, we have had experimental snapshots and snapshots, both of which bring in (and take out) new changes while working out kinks and bugs. Once most fixes have been made and the new features are mostly working correctly, Mojang moves into pre-releases and, eventually, release candidates, before the full update roll-out.

The 1.18 pre-release 1, therefore, includes everything that is coming to part 2 of the Caves and Cliffs update. This means that you will be able to explore the new Cave types down to the terrifying depths of Y-level -64, venture up into the snow-capped mountains at a dizzying Y-level 320, and finally discover all of the new blocks in the wild.

1.18 Pre-release 1 patch notes

There are a few minor changes that make this pre-release different from the most recent snapshots. Here are some of the top-line patch notes from Minecraft’s 1.18 pre-release 1. The full patch notes can be found on Minecraft.net.

Firstly, further improvements have been made to borders between new and old terrain. As we’ve seen in some previous snapshots, there could be some harsh, “cliffy” borders joining newly generated chunks and those that were already rendered. This is all part of the huge job that Mojang have undertaken to blend old and new so that you can still use your old Minecraft worlds with the new world height and biomes in 1.18.

Amplified and Large biome worlds have now been readded to the custom Create World options after they were previously removed for improvements. This is because issues with these worlds adapting to the new terrain have now been fixed.

There have also been a number of bug fixes in this pre-release as well, here’s a few.

You can now no longer get outside the world border by left-clicking a mountable entity which is outside it, i.e. a horse.

Villagers spawned in creative mode using eggs in the new grove, frozen peaks, snowy slopes and jagged peaks biomes will now be snowy plains villagers.

There was also a strange issue with Bedrock not populating in old chunks and or in Badlands and Wooded Badlands which has now been resolved.

What’s not coming to Caves and Cliffs part 2?

A couple of the original features of Caves and Cliffs will be missing, though. If you were looking forward to encountering the new mob The Warden in the Deep Dark, you’ll now need to wait until The Wild Update 1.19, coming some time in 2022. Mojang made the commendable decision to delay the Warden and its home biome in order to ensure that it’s the very best it can be. Looking at the footage revealed in Minecraft Live back in October, 2021, it’s easy to see why. The Deep Dark is so much more than any of us were expecting, and is going to be a terrifyingly terrific addition to Minecraft’s new below-zero cave systems.

The other notable feature that has seemingly fallen into the void is the archeology aspect of the game that was initially announced with the original Caves and Cliffs reveal. There has been very little mention of archeology since it was received badly from a lot of Minecraft fans. Hopefully, we will see it brought into 1.20 or beyond, as it was certainly an interesting idea, but there is no archeological update on the horizon right now.

How to access the 1.18 pre-release 1

In the Minecraft Java Edition. Before clicking Play on the main page, navigate to the release dropdown.
Select Latest snapshot; 1.18-pre1.
Then click Play

This will launch you into the Java edition homepage. From here, you can create a new world in the pre-release version. You will be able to open your existing worlds, but be aware that this could cause them to break, so if you want to open an existing world in the pre-release, it’s best to make a copy.

Having problems opening the Minecraft Launcher? Take a look at our guide to fixing this issue.

Minecraft Bedrock beta

There has also been another beta added to Bedrock edition. Betas are only accessible to Bedrock players on Xbox, and you can sign up by going to the Xbox Insider app on your console.

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• How to start a Minecraft Realm
• How to install a Minecraft adventure map on Java Edition
• Everything you need to know about Minecraft 1.18
• How to customize your Minecraft skin in Bedrock Edition

And head over to our Minecraft hub for even more news, guides and how-tos!