Mojang has finally given us a look at the next big update coming to Minecraft.
Named the Caves & Cliffs Update, the 1.17 patch will bring a bunch of new areas to explore. That includes the all new Lush Caves!
Lush Caves
These new underground caves offer a lot more than you are used to.
With vegetation, new plants, and rock pools these are amazing mini-biomes to discover.
LIGHTEN UP: New organic light sources brighten the caves up
Fortunately, you don't have to go digging around trying to find these Lush Caves.
There are some indicators on the surface!
How to find a Lush Cave
The easiest way to find a Lush Cave is walk around on the surface of your world.
There is a new tree coming with the update, the Azalea! This tree will always sit above a Lush Cave. This means when you find the new tree, you'll find a Lush Cave below!
HIDDEN DEPTHS: These pretty new trees are a signpost!
Of course, that is only true for naturally occuring Azaleas. If you plant one, a Lush Cave won't grow below. Or at least, we don't think it will but that would be a cool addition for Mojang to make!
What's in a Lush Cave?
Lush Caves won't just be a fun little biome to discover, there are plenty of new things to be found there too.
PEACEFUL: Lush Caves are a serene break from the chaos above
Glow Berries will give off light, helping keep mobs from spawning and adding a sense of untouched wild to the area. Spore Blossoms grow from the ceiling and give off little particles, giving the same effect seen in the Nether for ambiance.
There is also moss, both in blanket and block form, coming into the game. As well as an amazing new mob...
Axolotl
The first amphibian in Minecraft, the Axolotl will be a friendly little critter to take on adventures!
AWWWWW: Your new favourite mob is coming
Tameable simply by catching in a bucket, they will protect you in the water and attack Drowned, Guardians, Elder Guardians, and even fish.
They will only be found in pools of water in Lush Caves though, so make sure you have a bucket with you when you go looking for Azaleas!
Minecraft 1.17 release date
Unfortunately, players are going to have to wait some time to explore the Lush Caves.
As you would expect, Mojang hasn't given a release date for the update. The currently quoted "window" is Summer 2021.
Of course, that can move depending on the impact of covid over the next few months. However, Mojang was able to deliver the Nether Update on time so our fingers are crossed there are no delays this time.
