There have been some big changes in Minecraft over the last year with Caves and Cliffs. After being split in two, Minecraft 1.18, otherwise known as Caves and Cliffs Part 2, is set to make the game even bigger. Luckily, if you're on the right platform, you can play it right now.
Live Updates - Out now in Minecraft Java
The big update is finally available for those who play Minecraft Java. It seems likely that this is dropping a slight bit early so the team can monitor feedback and prep the servers for all those new players.
If you aren't playing on Minecraft Java, just wait a few hours and it should be good for you to give it a go.
Release Time
We're getting very close now, the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part 2 update is scheduled to release at 12pm ET/5pm GMT on November 30, which is in just a few hours.
If it's anything like part 1, the update's release could be delayed slightly (by up to an hour), but we think 12pm ET/5pm GMT will be when it's aiming for.
As soon as it's live and ready to download, we'll be sure to let you know.
How to play Minecraft 1.18 early
If you're really looking to play the update one day early, you can download the release candidate right now and play it on Minecraft Java.
You may want to make some backup saves to avoid losing any of your worlds. With the update out soon, it may not be worth your time.
Minecraft 1.18 New Features
Minecraft 1.18, otherwise known as Caves and Cliffs Part Two, is a huge update to Minecraft, bringing many notable changes and even the entire restructuring of certain mechanics.
This is mostly about caves giving a much deeper base to them and changing how they spawn and create.
Essentially, the intent is to make a more organic feel to cave structure with wider and bigger biomes and equilibrium in regards to ore generation.
Alongside this, it also changes how mountains work, adding a handful of new sub-biomes, all with different rules and mechanics. Needless to say, there's a lot to get used to here.
Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part Two Download Size
The Download Size is a pretty hard one to guess as we don't know how optimised the changes are and what will be taken out to accommodate it.
We estimate it will be around a couple of hundred megabytes
Can You play it early?
You can play it early if you have Minecraft Java. All you have to do is get the latest prerelease downloaded and boot up a world with it on. Just make sure to back up any saves.
Current prereleases may still have issues that could mess with your worlds. Make sure you have everything backed up.