Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18 Pre-Release 1 snapshot drops for 'Caves and Cliffs Update' Part Two

Minecraft Caves And Cliffs Update 1.18 Experimental Snapshot 2 Image
Minecraft Caves And Cliffs Update 1.18 Experimental Snapshot 2 Image (Image credit: Mojang Studios | Twitter)

What you need to know

  • Mojang Studios has been consistently working on 1.18 'Caves and Cliffs Update' Part Two for Minecraft over many months.
  • Now, it seems we're finally entering the final stage of development with the release of Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18 Pre-Release 1.
  • This snapshot indicates that Mojang is focusing on final polish and tweaks before a final release, likely in the next few weeks.
  • As such, don't expect any major new features or alterations between now and the update's public release.

Mojang Studios has been tirelessly working on 1.18 Caves and Cliffs Update Part Two for Minecraft, a massive update that includes world-altering changes to caves, mountains, and the terrain in general. Now, it seems we're finally entering the final stage of development for the update, ahead of its release sometime later this year. Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18 Pre-Release 1 is now rolling out, a snapshot that tests a handful of fixes and new features.

The highlight of this snapshot is the reintroduction of biome types like amplified and large biomes, as well as some bug fixes. From here on out, players shouldn't expect any other new features, as Mojang will be focusing on overall polish and stability to ready 1.18 'Caves and Cliffs Update' Part Two for release.

Minecraft is already the greatest game ever made, numbered among the best Xbox games of all time. The upcoming content update promises to cement this even further with tons of new features for players to explore.

The full changelog for Minecraft: Java Edition Pre-Release 1 includes:

Changes

  • Amplified and Large biome worlds have been adapted to the new terrain and are now once again available in the Create World screen
  • Removed world types "Caves" and "Floating islands" from the world creation screen
  • The transition between new and old terrain is less "cliffy"
    • Will surface height blend? Yes
    • Will biomes blend? Yes
    • Will caves blend? Your mileage may vary

Technical changes

  • --report option in data generator now creates full worldgen reference files instead of just biomes

Fixed bugs

  • Clicking and dragging "MOUSE3" (Mouse wheel) over item slots incorrectly attempts to place full stacks in survival
  • You can get outside of the world border by mounting a rideable entity (boat, pig, etc.) outside of it
  • Can place / take water /lava / lilypads outside world border and inside spawn protection
  • World border not correctly initialized for the End and Nether
  • Ambient property of potion effects with ShowParticles:0b is not disregarded
  • Player can interact with entities outside the world border
  • Half bed can be placed outside the world border
  • Every dimension's world border is operating independently, and doesn't appear where it actually is
  • Forests don't spawn trees near the positive edges, but overstretch bounds on the negative edges
  • Invisible world border in the end dimension
  • World border does not take nether coordinates into account
  • Stalactites don't fall properly if there are blocks directly below it
  • Some water in caves will not start flowing
  • Fossil structures can't generate in far east and south blocks of a chunk
  • Acacia trees under y=0 often grow with bare branches
  • Lava lake decorator config is unused
  • Conversion sounds for strays & drowned is controlled by Friendly Creatures mixer, not Hostile Creatures
  • Dragon egg can teleport to outside the world border
  • Lava lakes generate without stone around
  • Lava pools cause sand to fall now instead of putting sandstone beneath it
  • Weather can sometimes be incorrect within a biome
  • Extremely low amount of pillager spawns in outpost on jagged peaks, groves, snowy slopes & frozen peaks
  • Falling blocks still sometimes disappear for a moment when landing
  • Projectiles glitch around in the air when exiting simulation distance
  • Missing biome definitions in some peak grid cells causes unintended ocean placement
  • Villager spawn eggs used on grove, frozen peaks, snowy slopes and jagged peaks don't spawn snowy plains villagers
  • The "Sound of Music" and "Feels like home" advancements are internally located in the incorrect tab folder
  • Newly added advancements' namespace IDs do not match their translation keys
  • Deserts generate with little or no sandstone
  • Doing /locate desert_pryamid in a desert superflat world freezes the world
  • Upgrading old worlds causes leaves to change to surface builder blocks
  • Lava pools intersecting strongholds can cause end portal frames to be deleted
  • Cullface arguments in cauldrons are excessive
  • Deepslate doesn't generate in the new cave generation under old chunks
  • There is no bedrock in the overworld in old chunks
  • Deepslate does not generate below Y=0 in Badlands or Wooded Badlands Biomes
  • Bedrock doesn't generate in Badlands or Wooded Badlands
  • Noise cave carvers don't generate below old chunks
  • Block simulation distance is always 8 chunks regardless of the slider's value
  • Clicking a JFR link copies full server-side path to clipboard
  • Extremely slow End terrain generation
  • Portals no longer load chunks as non-entity processing
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.