The ever-expanding world of Minecraft is about to get even bigger in a new snapshot, with new sub-biomes and even taller mountains pushing game maps to all-new borders. Players who join the beta for the upcoming "Caves & Cliffs" features will see snow-capped mountains soaring into a much higher sky, and the return of an old favorite mob, the Glow Squid.
Minecraft's 1.17 update "Caves & Cliffs," the latest in a series of expansions and upgrades to the ultra-popular sandbox survival game was announced back in October 2020, and since then, a steady trickle of information has been coming in about the changes the newest update will bring. New textures, mobs, subterranean biomes, ores, and crafting materials, among other things, have all been confirmed from Snapshots released since the announcement, but the one bit of information that has been sorely lacking since the announcement is when the update will actually be coming out. The latest snapshot still isn't offering an answer to that question, but it is revealing how much more the game is growing, including vertically.
While earlier snapshots revealed that the maps are now 60 blocks deeper in the new update, with new subterranean biomes and updated cave systems, the latest snapshot is taking that growth to the other side of the Y-axis. Minecraft's official site has announced all of the newest features being introduced, and they include majestic, soaring mountain biomes with powdery snow, high-altitude meadows, slopes, and groves. To make room for these lofty peaks, the world height has jumped up to 320 blocks, where the generated mountains will be capping out at the original world height of 256 blocks, and be chock full of coal, iron, and emerald ore in new textures. And in an entirely different biome, the elusive Glow Squid will be slinking around in the open sea once again.
So it may not be the news that fans were hoping for, which is an actual release date, but it's still a pretty awesome update nevertheless. Bigger worlds mean more danger, more building room, and more to explore, and the new biomes and building materials give players even greater creative freedom, which was always what Minecraft is all about.
For diehard fans of the game, the snapshots are a great opportunity to help shape the world of Minecraft and to improve it for all players. Beta testers can try out new features ahead of their peers, give feedback that can assist developers, and help shape the overall experience. But any player who wants to get in on the beta is advised to do so at their own risk - it will replace games with the beta version, which is a work in progress and not indicative of the final version as far as quality or stability. Realms will be inaccessible, and non-beta players will not be able to join. Players are advised to save copies of their worlds to avoid losing them, as worlds played while in beta can't be opened in previous versions, which means the worlds could potentially be lost, or players will have to stay in beta until the game updates. The beta is currently only available on Xbox One, Windows 10, and Android via Google Play.
Source: Minecraft