The ‘Caves and Cliffs Update’ for Minecraft is being split in two, second part delayed until this winter
The Caves and Cliffs Update is going to take a little longer.
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What you need to know
Mojang Studios has long been working on the next update forMinecraft, or theCaves and Cliffs Update. The update was originally planned torelease in Summer 2021, but Mojang Studios has made the difficult decision tosplit the Caves and Cliffs Update, and delay big parts of the release. There are multiple reasons for the split and delay, but it ultimately comes down to preserving the quality of Minecraft and the health of Mojang Studios' talented team members. Mojang Studios also released a new video going over the reasons behind the decision.
The Caves and Cliffs Update for Minecraft is now coming in two separate parts. The first part is coming in Summer 2021, in the same timeframe the full Caves and Cliffs Update was planned. The second, arguably more important part, has been delayed until Holiday, or Winter 2021. Finally, the new archeology system that was planned for the Caves and Cliffs Update has been indefinitely delayed and likely won’t arrive until sometime in 2022.
The first part of the Caves and Cliffs Update will include:
The second part of the Caves and Cliffs Update will include:
This was likely a difficult decision for Mojang Studios to make, but ultimately was required to deliver the Caves and Cliffs Update at an acceptable quality. The changing work environments due to the pandemic, as well as the extreme technical challenges of delivering this update dictated this decision. Hopefully, Mojang Studios' teams can work safely and smartly to deliver the Caves and Cliffs Update to eager Minecraft fans as soon as it’s ready.
Minecraft is one of thebest games on Xbox, and this delay doesn’t change that at all. If you’re excited about the Caves and Cliffs Update, be sure to check out some of the best Minecraft merch, toys, and gifts.
I recently discussed whyMojang Studios sometimes feels like an underfunded indie studio, which was motivated by some of the decisions and delays Mojang Studios has made in the past.
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Minecraft is an inarguable and complete success. It has sold copies in the hundreds of millions, has a huge following of dedicated players, and lets you unlock your every creative desire. It’s also available on every platform imaginable, including Xbox One, Windows 10, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Play with anyone, and play anywhere.
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.
