Minecraft 1.18 update lush caves and large biomes: Everything you need to know

Lush caves are the newest addition to Minecraft (Image via Minecraft)
Lush caves are the newest addition to Minecraft (Image via Minecraft)

Minecraft 1.18 brings a ton of changes to the world and terrain generation in the game. With the update coming out later today, players are looking forward to traversing across the brand new world Minecraft has to offer.

Minecraft 1.17, titled the Caves and Cliffs part 1 update, featured some new items and mobs like candles, copper, axolotls, goats and glow squids. Minecraft 1.18 is taking a different route, changing features like the ore generation system and the levels at which ores spawn. Additionally, the update includes a complete overhaul of Minecraft's cave systems.


Minecraft 1.18: Cave generation and lush caves

Cave generation is revamped in Minecraft 1.18 (Image via Minecraft)
Cave generation is revamped in Minecraft 1.18 (Image via Minecraft)

Minecraft 1.18 adds a plethora of new and expansive cave biomes to the game. The size of every cave has been expanded greatly, with massive cave entrances being exposed everywhere within the harsh world of Minecraft, similar to the "large biomes" type of world generation. Caves in Minecraft 1.18 get three new biomes, each with their own distinctive features. This will make them a lot more interesting to explore, with lots of ores and resources available to plunder as well.


Here's every cave biome in Minecraft 1.18

Lush caves

Mineshafts can generate in Lush caves (Image via Minecraft)
Mineshafts can generate in Lush caves (Image via Minecraft)

These beautiful cave systems spawn deep underground, mainly around the different types of forest biomes in Minecraft. The ceiling of every Lush cave is adorned with plants called Glow berries. These light-emitting berries can also be used as food items.

Additionally, the floors in this biome feature a new type of plant, called dripleaf. The only passive mobs to spawn in this biome are bats, glow squids and tropical fish.


Dripstone caves

Dripstone caves are full of stalagmites and stalactites (Image via Minecraft)
Dripstone caves are full of stalagmites and stalactites (Image via Minecraft)

These fascinating caves are filled with stalactites and stalagmites (which deal damage if they fall on any mob), along with a sea of dripstone blocks. They stand as the biggest cave biomes in the game, covered in jagged terrain and large cliffs. Large rivers can also be found in this biome.


Noise caves

Noise caves are a new cave variant that comes in three sub-biomes:

Cheese caves

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These caves exhibit properties similar to the surface of a real-life piece of cheese. They contain huge voids and holes along with pillars that support the cave. This will serve as an excellent location to fly around with the coveted Elytra.

Spaghetti caves

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These long, thin, and winding caves form a network around the map. They can be confusing to navigate, and players could lose their bearings when exploring them. They contain aquifers, which means that large parts of them are submerged beneath water.

Noodle caves

Noodle caves in Minecraft 1.18 (Image via Minecraft)
Noodle caves in Minecraft 1.18 (Image via Minecraft)

Noodle caves are similar to Spaghetti caves. However, they are thinner and more claustrophobic. Both the spaghetti and noodle cave systems have designs similar to the old caves of Minecraft.


The cave generation system is yet another Minecraft feature that continues to pique interest among players. The wait for the update is almost over, as Minecraft 1.18 releases for all platforms on November 30 at approximately 10:00 am PST.