Minecraft: Java Edition Snapshot 21w15a released alongside ‘Caves and Cliffs Update’ delay announcement
Some features are now being switched off due to the recent delay.
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What you need to know
Minecraftis having a big news day, but it’s not exactly a happy occasion. The ambitious and hotly-anticipatedCaves and Cliffs Update for Minecraft has been split into two parts and delayed, with Mojang Studios citing the technical complexities of the update and their need to preserve the health of their teams. In response to this announcement,Minecraft: Java Edition Snapshot 21w15ais now rolling out to PC Minecraft testers with an interesting batch of changes for theCaves and Cliffs Update.
While there are new features and changes in the latest Minecraft: Java Edition snapshot, many of the features that have been tested in previous snapshots are actually beingremoved. Most of the world generation changes from the Caves and Cliffs Update have been delayed and aren’treleasing until Winter 2021, so these features are being shut off in Snapshot 21w15a.
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The world generation features being removed in Minecraft: Java Edition Snapshot 21w15a include:
If players want to continue testing these experimental features, which now aren’t arriving until much later this year, they still can! Mojang Studios is introducing a new datapack that creates an experimental custom world in Minecraft, where the removed snapshot features will still be active.
To test the removed Caves and Cliffs Update features in Minecraft, you’ll need to follow these steps:
Beyond those changes, Snapshot 21w15a actually does include new features that should be arriving in the first half of the Caves and Cliffs Update in Summer 2021.
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The full changelog for Minecraft: Java Edition Snapshot 21w15a includes:
New features
Changes
Building blocks tab
Technical changes
Markers
Debug function
Chat component separators
Custom server resource packs
Bug fixes
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.
