Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18.2 Release Candidate 1 could be followed by Monday release

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Update Image
Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Update Image (Image credit: Mojang Studios)

What you need to know

  • Mojang Studios is now rolling out Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18.2 Release Candidate 1 to interested testers and players.
  • The snapshot is tiny, only including two minor bug fixes that resolves issues for Minecraft: Java Edition servers.
  • If no other critical issues are discovered, the full Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18.2 patch update could be released on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022.

Impending Minecraft updates always mean a flurry of snapshots and pre-release builds in the weeks leading up to release, and Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18.2 has been no different. Mojang Studios is preparing to release the massive patch update as soon as Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, as long as no critical issues are discovered within the most recent snapshot.

The latest Pre-Release 3 snapshot is already being followed by Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18.2 Release Candidate 1, which, as the name implies, could very well be the exact build released to players. The snapshot only includes two minor server-focused fixes, with Mojang carefully monitoring the snapshot for any other potential critical issues.

Assuming nothing is found, the 1.18.2 patch update could be cleared for an official release this coming Monday. Minecraft may be updated less frequently than other games, but updates like version 1.18.2 are what help Minecraft stay on the top of our list of best PC games you can play.

In case you missed it, Mojang Studios also released the first Deep Dark experimental snapshot based on The Wild Update, which comes to Minecraft in 2022 with new biomes to explore, mobs to discover, and features with which to play. The first experimental snapshot specifically highlights the Deep Dark biome and terrifying Warden mob.

The full changelog for Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18.2 Release Candidate 1 includes:

Fixed bugs

  • Some custom dimensions settings can cause the server to stop running, but not crash
  • Some worldgen datapacks can kill the internal server (possibly related to density functions)
Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.