Minecraft: Java Edition · Game update
Minecraft 1.18: Caves & Cliffs: Part II
Caves & Cliffs: Part II rebuilt Overworld terrain generation and made the world 384 blocks tall, from Y=-64 to Y=319. Caves became far larger, mountain and cave biomes arrived, and ore distribution changed completely.
- Released
- Server needs
- Java 17
- Protocol
- 757
Seven days free, no card. Pick 1.18 when you create the server, or switch an existing one from the panel.
What is new in Minecraft 1.18
The additions people noticed first, then everything else by area.
- World height raised to 384 blocks, from Y=-64 to Y=319
- Terrain generation is now independent from biomes
- Six new mountain biomes and two cave biomes
- Noise caves and aquifers replace the old cave system
- Ore distribution completely changed
- First version to require Java 17
Blocks and items
- Otherside music disc by Lena Raine
- Crossbow durability increased to 465
- Copper ore now drops two to five raw copper
- Enchanting tables emit light level 7
- Updated textures for doors, signs, item frames and campfires
Mobs
- Axolotls spawn only in lush caves above clay, with their own mob cap
- Fish and dolphins spawn only between Y=50 and Y=64
- Drowned spawn in dripstone cave aquifers and warm oceans
- Hostile mobs now need block light level 0 to spawn
- Goats spawn only in snowy slopes, jagged peaks and frozen peaks
- Rabbits, wolves and foxes can spawn on snow blocks
- Endermen take damage from splash water bottles
World and biomes
- Six mountain biomes: meadow, grove, snowy slopes, jagged, frozen and stony peaks
- Dripstone caves and lush caves now generate naturally
- Caves stretch down to Y=-64
- Aquifers create underground water at heights independent of sea level
- Three noise cave types: cheese, spaghetti and noodle
- 24 height variant biomes removed and 8 renamed
- Water lakes removed and lava lakes only generate above Y=0
- Ore distribution reworked with new spread based generation
Gameplay
- Four new advancements
- Adventuring Time now needs 50 biomes instead of 42
- Sleeping only resets the weather during rain or a thunderstorm
Commands and technical
- New /jfr command for Java Flight Recorder profiling
- New advancement triggers fall_from_height and ride_entity_in_lava
- New illageralt font
- Data pack format raised to 8
- All structures are hardcoded into generation
Running a Minecraft 1.18 server
What the release means for whoever runs the server.
- Requires Java SE 17, the first version to do so
- Protocol version 757
- Data pack format 8
- Build range is now Y=-64 to Y=319, 384 blocks tall
- Chunk format version raised to 8 with paletted biome data in sections
- New chunk fields yPos, below_zero_retrogen and blending_data
- Old worlds are upgraded in place and blended into the new terrain
- Old bedrock at Y=0 to Y=4 becomes deepslate, new bedrock sits at Y=-64
- Player built structures may end up intact, buried or deteriorated
Before you update a world: take a backup. A world opened in 1.18 cannot be opened in an older version again. How backups work here.
1.18 on FadeHost
- The right Java, set for you
- A 1.18 server needs Java 17, and the panel starts it with a Java that fits. 1.17.1 ran on Java 16; switching a server to 1.18 switches the Java with it.
- Server software for 1.18
- PaperPurpurSpigotVanillaFabricForge
- Who can join
- Players on 1.18 and on 1.18.1: the network protocol is the same.
Patches after 1.18
The fix releases that followed, oldest first.
Minecraft 1.18.1
· Java 17
1.18.1 is the release that fixed Log4Shell, the critical remote code execution hole in log4j2 that a chat message could trigger. It also fixed eight other issues and changed how fog is drawn.
What 1.18.1 changedMinecraft 1.18.2
· Java 17
1.18.2 fixed 113 issues and made structures data driven, which opened custom structure generation to data packs. It raised the data pack format to 9 and is not compatible with earlier 1.18 servers.
What 1.18.2 changedQuestions about 1.18
When was Minecraft 1.18 released?
Minecraft: Java Edition 1.18, Caves & Cliffs: Part II, was released on November 30, 2021.
What Java version does a Minecraft 1.18 server need?
Java 17. The release before it, 1.17.1, ran on Java 16. On FadeHost the server starts with the right Java for its Minecraft version on its own, so there is nothing to install or switch.
What did Minecraft 1.18 add?
Caves & Cliffs: Part II rebuilt Overworld terrain generation and made the world 384 blocks tall, from Y=-64 to Y=319. Caves became far larger, mountain and cave biomes arrived, and ore distribution changed completely.
Can players on another version join a 1.18 server?
Players on 1.18.1 can: the network protocol (757) is the same. Any other version has to match the server, unless a Paper server runs plugins such as ViaVersion and ViaBackwards.
Can I update my world to Minecraft 1.18?
Yes. Take a backup, switch the server to 1.18 and start it: the world is converted on the first boot. A world opened in 1.18 cannot be opened in an older version again, so keep the backup until you are sure.
How do I start a Minecraft 1.18 server?
Create a server on FadeHost and pick 1.18 in the software list: Paper, Purpur, Spigot, Vanilla, Fabric and Forge are there for this version. It is online in about a minute. The free tier runs a 2 GB server at no cost, and a paid server is sized to the RAM you need.
Read on
Change a server's version
Version, software and loader build are one setting in the panel.
Java version errors
What the wrong Java looks like in the console, and why it does not happen here.
RAM calculator
How much memory a server needs, sized from servers measured on our nodes.
Every Minecraft version
All releases, what each one added and the Java it needs.
Release facts from the Minecraft Wiki:Java Edition 1.18. Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang; FadeHost is not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.