Minecraft 'Caves and Cliffs Update' Part One is officially releasing June 8 with new mobs and blocks

What you need to know

• Minecraft is working on the massive two-part update known as the 'Caves and Cliffs Update.'
• Today, Mojang Studios officially announced the release date for Part One of the 'Caves and Cliffs Update' after months of testing.
• Three new mobs and up to 91 new blocks are heading to Minecraft with the 'Caves and Cliffs Update' on June 8, 2021.
• The 'Caves and Cliffs Update' will be available for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and Minecraft: Java Edition on all current platforms.

Minecraft players have been eagerly following the progress and development of the Caves and Cliffs Update following its initial reveal at Minecraft Live 2020. Ever since the Caves and Cliffs Update was split into two parts and partially delayed, the wait has gotten even more difficult. Now, after months of testing and tweaking through Minecraft: Bedrock Edition betas and Minecraft: Java Edition snapshots, Mojang Studios has finally announced that Part One of the Caves and Cliffs Update officially releases on June 8, 2021.

Part One of the Caves and Cliffs Update isn't as major on paper as the second part releasing sometime later this winter, but Mojang Studios still has plenty up its sleeves with the first half of what's arguably the biggest release for Minecraft to date. As a quick recap, Part One of the Caves and Cliffs Update includes three new mobs with the mountain goat, glow squid, and axolotl, and up to 91 new blocks and items for players to find and use.

You can also check out previously released Minecraft YouTube specials on the new mobs and new blocks for a little more information and insight. Don't forget to refer to our ultimate guide to the Caves and Cliffs Update for Minecraft for all the information you need to know.

Minecraft is releasing the Caves and Cliffs Update Part One on June 8, 2021 for practically every platform, including Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, iOS, Android, macOS, and Linux. Minecraft is also available through Xbox Game Pass on consoles if you somehow haven't experienced everything that Minecraft has to offer yet.

Unfortunately, there's no news with this release on Minecraft for Xbox Series X|S, so don't expect any graphical upgrades or ray tracing to make a sudden appearance with the Caves and Cliffs Update Part One. If you're waiting for this possible next-gen upgrade for Minecraft, we have a dedicated resource for when Minecraft with ray tracing will come to Xbox Series X|S. I also recently discussed why Minecraft on Xbox Series X|S is an unfortunate disappointment because of this.

Part Two of the Caves and Cliffs Update doesn't yet have an announced release date besides a broad window of Winter 2021, so I wouldn't expect it any time soon. The second half of the Caves and Cliffs Update for Minecraft is arguably the more significant half, and will include major features like new generation for caves and mountains, a ton of new blocks and systems, and much more. Now that the first half of the Caves and Cliffs Update is almost here, development and testing on the second half should begin in earnest.

Minecraft is one of the biggest games in the world and one of the best games on Xbox, hands down, and now Minecraft is getting the beginning of one of its biggest updates yet with the Caves and Cliffs Update Part One. Celebrate Minecraft and this upcoming release on June 8 with something from our list of best Minecraft merch, toys, and gifts.