Caves & Cliffs was announced in Minecraft Live 2020,[6] and on April 14, 2021, Mojang Studios announced that the update would be split into two portions due to the amount and complexity of content, as well as team health.[7] It was later announced in Minecraft Live 2021 that the Deep Dark portion, as well as certain items, of the Caves & Cliffs update would be delayed until The Wild Update to improve quality.
On Bedrock Edition, Part I started development with beta 1.16.200.52, which was released on October 28, 2020. Most of the Part I features were behind experimental gameplay toggle until the Part I release and were not included in the full 1.16.200, 1.16.210, and 1.16.220 release.[8][9] In Part II, development continued with beta 1.17.30.23, which was released on August 25, 2021. In 1.17.10, released on July 13, 2021, non-beta users were able to test out most of early Part II features behind experimental gameplay.[10]
Both Java and Bedrock editions received Caves & Cliffs: Part I on June 8, 2021,[2] and Caves & Cliffs: Part II on November 30, 2021.[5]
Additionally, features from Caves & Cliffs: Part I, were released for Minecraft Education in 1.17.30 on November 2, 2021. Part II features were released in 1.18.32 on August 9, 2022.
For China Edition, Caves & Cliffs: Part I was released on January 21, 2022, and Part II on August 27, 2022.
Major overhaul of terrain and cave generation, with a new expanded world height from top to bottom.
Biomes can now be generated in 3D, with different biomes depending now on y-level.
Caves are now composed of two layers depending on depth.
A stone layer, found in y-levels above 0.
A deepslate layer, found in y-levels below 8.
Aquifers, or bodies of water, generate deep underground, independent of sea level at Y=63.
Caves now come in three noise generations: "cheese", "spaghetti", and "noodle".
Cheese caves are large sprawling caves with stone pillars from top to bottom, and allows for elytra flight.
Spaghetti caves are long, thin caves with smaller aquifers.
Noodle caves are thinner, and smaller compared to spaghetti caves.
Ore generation has changed.
Coal ore now tries to generate twice, evenly between Y=136 and Y=256; and as a spread between Y=0 to Y=192 with a peak at Y=96.
Copper ore generates as a spread between Y=-16 and Y=112 with a peak at Y=48.
Iron ore now tries to generate three times, as a spread above Y=80 with a peak at Y=256; another spread between Y=-24 to Y=57 with a peak at Y=16; and a small even distribution between Y=-64 and Y=-32.
Gold ore now generates between Y=-64 and Y=32 with a peak at Y=-16. Extra gold can also generate below Y=-48.
In badlands, gold now generates from Y=79 to Y=256 with an increase number of blobs.
Lapis lazuli ore now tries to generate twice, as a spread between Y=-32 and Y=32 with a peak at Y=0; and unexposed evenly between Y=-64 and Y=64.
Redstone ore now tries to generate twice, evenly between Y=16 and Y=-64; and as a spread below Y=-32 with a peak at Y=-64
Diamond ore now generates as a spread, generating below Y=16 and peaking at Y=-64.
Emerald ore generates above Y=-16 and peaks at Y=256, decreasing in quantity as the altitude decreases.
Upgrading worlds before this update now blend chunk boundaries from old chunks to new chunks seemlessly.
The bedrock layer for older worlds is converted to deepslate.
Mojang Studios employees explored real caves to research for the update. This helped give inspiration and ideas for the update, including for the noodle caves (previously called mesh caves).[11][12]
Henrik Kniberg also recalled memories of past visits to caves around the world.[13]
The art style of the concept art for Caves & Cliffs was inspired by the concept art of the Adventure Time episode Diamonds and Lemons, which was a crossover with Minecraft.[14]
At the 0:24 mark of the Caves & Cliffs: Part I trailer, the Capricornus constellation can be spotted in the sky, which represents the sea-goat and is the Latin name for the goat horn.