Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part 1 Features: What New Content is Coming in 1.17?

The Caves and Cliffs update is one of the most anticipated Minecraft releases of all time, bringing several new mobs, blocks, and features to the game. While the update was originally supposed to come out this summer with everything included, the Caves and Cliffs update has now been split into two parts. Caves and Cliffs Part 1 is nearly here, but Minecraft fans will have to wait until later this year for Part 2 of the update. Still, Caves and Cliffs Part 1 still contains a ton of new content that is sure to satisfy Minecraft players. Here are all the new features in the Caves and Cliffs Part 1 update for Minecraft.

What’s Included in Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part 1?

Part 1 of the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update focuses on mobs and blocks. The new cave types and world generation features won’t come until the second part of the update releases later this year. Here’s an overview of all the new mobs and blocks added in Minecraft version 1.17.

• New Mobs
  • Goats
  • Axolotls
  • Glow Squid
• New Blocks
  • Copper Ore
  • Dripstone and Pointed Dripstone
  • Amethyst Geodes
  • Tinted Glass
  • Glow Lichen
  • Powdered Snow
  • Deepslate
  • Moss
  • Glow Berries
  • Azalea
  • Dripleaf Plant
• New Item
  • Spyglass
  • Candles
  • Lightning Rod

Let’s take a closer look at all the major new features in the Caves and Cliffs Part 1 update, starting with the mobs.

Goats, Axolotls, and Glow Squids

Goats will appear in mountainous areas and can jump super high. A goat can clear two full blocks with a single jump! You can milk them like cows using a bucket, but they’ll headbutt you if you harass them too much. Because they’re only found high up on mountains, a headbutt can send you falling to your doom, so be careful. Goats can drop their horns if they ram into a block, which you can blow into like an instrument.

Axolotls can mainly be found in Lush Caves, a new cave biome that is slated to be released with Caves and Cliffs Part 2 later this year. Currently, they’ll show up in underwater parts of normal caves. You can scoop them up in a bucket and carry them with you. They’ll attack enemies for you, and since you can carry so many of them in a single bucket, they make a pretty good army.

Glow Squids are just like regular Squids, only they glow. They don’t emit any light though, so they only technically glow. They glow in the same way that Blazes do, appearing lit up but not changing the overall light level. They only spawn in complete darkness, so look for them at the bottom of oceans. They drop glow ink sacs, which can be used to craft the new glow item frames.

Copper Ore

Caves and Cliffs Part 1 brings a new ore to the game: Copper! Copper has a distinct orange-brownish appearance, but it will change to a light blue color when it’s exposed to air. Copper is used to craft new items like spyglasses and lightning rods. Lightning rods can be used to protect your builds from lightning, redirecting any lightning strikes during thunderstorms.

Dripstone

Stalagmites and stalactites will start appearing in caves in 1.17, and you can harvest them to obtain Pointed Dripstone. You can use this material to build stalagmites and stalactites in other places. They drip water and lava, which you can collect in a cauldron. You can also craft Dripstone Blocks to use it for building by placing four Pointed Dripstones in a square when crafting.

Deepslate

Deepslate will play a much larger role when Caves and Cliffs Part 2 releases since it is supposed to appear at much deeper layers than are currently available. The depth limit won’t be extended until the second part of the update, so for now, you’ll only be able to find it near the bedrock layer. It has a very dark appearance and can be cut and chiseled into multiple styles like normal stone. It looks like it’ll be a popular block for builders.

Crystals and Amethyst

With the release of 1.17, amethyst geodes will start appearing rarely in caves. These are small areas that spawn amethyst crystals, which can be harvested to obtain amethyst. Amethyst is used to craft many new items like telescopes, but it’s quite hard to find. You can’t take the blocks that grow the crystals, so you’ll have to make note of where you find them. They make a twinkling sound, so keep listening when you’re mining and you may get lucky.

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part 1 Release Date

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part 1, also known as version 1.17, will be released on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. While Mojang has yet to announce the exact release time, you can expect to see the update at around 7 AM PT/10 AM ET on June 8. Most Minecraft updates tend to roll out around that time, but the patch time could be different based on your platform. Caves and Cliffs Part 1 is coming to all Bedrock platforms at the same time, so some platforms could get the update a few hours later than the rest.

When is Caves and Cliffs Part 2 Coming?

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part 2, also known as version 1.18, does not currently have a concrete release date. The update is targeting late 2021. Mojang will provide more details regarding this patch once the first part of the update releases and we get closer to the targeted release window. Caves and Cliffs Part 2 will include all the world generation aspects of the update, including the highly anticipated revamps of caves and mountains. New mobs like the Warden will also be included with this update.

Minecraft is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.