Minecraft 1.17 Caves and Cliffs update expected release date, features, and more

The Minecraft community is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Caves and Cliffs update. The update is expected to bring a series of new biomes, blocks and mobs to the game.

The Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update was initially set to be released this summer. However, due to difficulties that have arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mojang announced that the update has been divided into two parts that will be released on different dates.

In the announcement, the developers said:

"Since giving you the best update possible is our priority, we have decided to split Caves & Cliffs into two parts. The first part is coming this summer, while the second is planned for release around the holiday season."

The first part of the Caves and Cliffs update will feature new blocks and mobs, while the second part will introduce world generation and technical changes, such as new biomes and increased world height limit.

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs release date

The Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update was initially expected to be released in the summer of 2021. As of now, the update is split into two parts.

The first part of the update will follow the previous schedule and will be released at the end of the summer.

The second part of the update has many technical difficulties that will take a long time to be resolved. Fans can expect it to be released by the end of this year.

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Minecraft Caves and Cliffs main features

Here are some of the features that are coming to Minecraft with the Caves and Cliffs update:

New cave and mountain generation

Lush Caves are a new cave biome (Image via Minecraft)

The Caves and Cliffs update will bring a major overhaul to the caves and mountains of Minecraft. Here are some of the major changes and additions:

• Three new types of cave generation: Cheese, Spaghetti, and Noodle Caves
• New cave biomes: Lush Caves, Dripstone Caves, and Deep Dark caves
• The new world height range is from -64 to 320
• Mountains now generate up to the height of 256 blocks
• Caves generate up to the bottom of the world

New Mobs

A goat ramming a cow (Image via Mojang)

Players will find four new types of mobs in Minecraft after the Caves and Cliffs update. Some of them are neutral, while others are hostile:

• Axolotls: A cute mob hostile towards most other aquatic mobs
• Glow Squids: Similar to normal squids with a glowy texture
• Goats: Bleating inhabitants of mountains
• Warden: A terrifying mob dwelling in the deep dark caves

New blocks and items

Copper blocks in Minecraft (Image via Minecraft)

The Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update will add many game-changing blocks and items.

Sculk sensors are a new block that can detect vibrations and produce redstone signals. Copper is a new ore that can be used for crafting spyglasses and lightning rods.

Apart from sculk sensors and copper, there are many other blocks/items that are set to be added to the game with the upcoming update.