Many games are often released to critical acclaim only to vanish into obscurity after a few years. It happens time and time again. But there are a few games that have stood the test of time. Pac-man. Super Mario Bros. Halo. These titans of the industry are still talked about today. Still loved and enjoyed.
But all of these games are dwarfed by one title in particular. A game that came out of nowhere with a simple concept and went on to create a gaming empire unlike anything seen before. It is now the second most sold game in the world, below Tetris, and is even used in schools as an education tool. We are of course talking about Minecraft.
Minecraft was released in 2011. And today, ten years later, it still receives regular updates. It has an active community spanning the millions. It has its own tv shows, YouTube cult followings, spin-off games. Even lego sets are based around it. Few games can boast about their achievements like Minecraft.
We are going to be looking at the updates coming to Minecraft next month, and even beyond into 2022.
Java Update 1.18
This is actually the second part of a two-part update that began in the ‘Caves and Cliffs’ update, which saw massive changes made to the procedurally generated caves found throughout a Minecraft world.
The update is set to land on the 30th of November, 2021. It has a number of quality of life improvements alongside some major changes too. The most notable of which is the mountain biomes being added. Previously only snowy mountains were featured in Minecraft worlds. But this update is assing 8 new biome possibilities to mountains. Allowing for a greater variety in world generation and player possibilities.
How Caves are Affected
The changes being made to caves in this update are mostly technical. The most notable being that they can now stretch further down into the earth. This means players can expect their caving adventures to become even more perilous. But with even greater rewards.
There is also two new biomes of cave that can spawn in the underground, that were previously only seen above ground. Dripstone caves and lush caves are can now show up anywhere underground, giving players more variety in their exploration of the depths below.
They have also updated the integration mechanics for these new caves, meaning they will blend seamlessly into pre-existing worlds and the cave networks within them. This has been a common issue talked about on the forums. So it’s nice to see it being addressed.
A fair word of warning for anyone running servers for Minecraft, these new biome changes do present a risk to player-built structures. Caves that form on or around player buildings can destroy or absorb the structures completely. We recommend you make a backup of your server worlds to ensure your player’s hard work doesn’t go to waste.
Future Updates
2022 Is set to be a big year for Minecraft. And it kicks off with java update 1.19. Or, as it is titled, The Wild Update.
The main addition to the game in this update is a brand new biome called the Deep Dark Biome. This biome is adding a lot of mystery and horror to the game. Featuring new blocks and a terrifying new foe in the form of the Warden.
The biome itself is very dark, as the name implies, and mostly underground, to tie into the cave update. It also adds deep dark cities. Sprawling abandoned city structures that give players a lot to explore. And with exploration comes a lot of loot to be found as well.
The Warden itself is a fresh take on the traditional iron golem mob. The two share some visual similarities but the Warden is notably blind. Much like the bat mobs, the Warden relies on sound to locate a player. So if you come across one you will need to be as quiet as possible to avoid its wrath!
The update also brings a lot of enhancements to the current biomes. A lot of the changes are atmospheric; changes in lighting and sound design. But a few biomes are getting new mobs and trees added to them. For example, the swamp biome will now feature the new mangrove trees.
There is no confirmed date for this update. All we know is that it will be dropping in early 2022. So for now all we can do is enjoy the fantastic cave updates and wait patiently.
Bedrock Edition Update
We haven’t forgotten about those playing the bedrock edition either. The next update for the bedrock version is 1.18.10. There is no set release date yet but it is said to tackle a lot of frustrating bugs that have been annoying the community. They haven’t released any specifics yet but when they do we will be sure to bring you the full patch notes. So stay tuned!
Aside from that it also brings in a few additions that bring this version more in line with the Java edition of the game. Including textures changes and laying the groundwork for future bedrock updates to add new features still missing from this version.
