Minecraft ‘The Wild Update’: Release date, features, and everything we know

Minecraft is a game that constantly improves over time, with Mojang Studios usually releasing at least one major update per year. For 2022, we now know The Wild Update is what’s next for Minecraft after the release of the massive Caves and Cliffs Update. The Wild Update adds some awesome new features, improves existing mechanics, and highlights Mojang’s commitment to making Minecraft a better game with every single release.

Here’s everything we know about The Wild Update for Minecraft, including its release date, features, and much more.

The Wild Update is Minecraft’s 2022 titular release, and will bring new levels of polish and quality to the game after the fundamental shifts and changes introduced in the gargantuan Caves and Cliffs Update. The Wild Update will be smaller than its predecessor, but will also have a finer focus on parity between Bedrock and Java Editions of Minecraft, achieving a greater level of quality for new and existing features, and making Minecraft’s Overworld a more exciting and diverse place with which to explore and interact.

Announced during Minecraft Live 2021, The Wild Update will follow 1.18 Caves and Cliffs Update Part Two, still slated for release later in 2021, with a fresh batch of additions and features for all platforms Minecraft is available. It will also likely introduce the winner of the Minecraft Live 2021 Mob Vote, alongside all the other changes and brand-new features.

On the surface, The Wild Update may not be as immediately exciting as the Caves and Cliffs Update’s major shifts to world generation and mining (a key pillar of Minecraft’s gameplay loop), but it’ll still contain plenty to get players excited. The Wild Update will, hopefully, do nothing but contribute to why Minecraft is the greatest game ever made. As we learn more about The Wild Update and everything it entails, we’ll continuously update this space with all the information we have.

When is the release date of The Wild Update for Minecraft?

With the second half of the Caves and Cliffs Update not even officially released to players yet, the question of when The Wild Update can be expected is met with an understandably vague answer. Mojang Studios has elected not to share any release dates or even a target window, which aligns with how the developer usually works (Minecraft updates usually are tested with the community for months before a general release). At least for now, the release date for The Wild Update is simply “2022,” with nothing more specific than that.

1.18 Caves and Cliffs Update Part Two is expected later in 2021, and then we’ll likely begin to learn more about The Wild Update and what’s to come. Right now, The Wild Update looks to be one release instead of the two-part drop that the Caves and Cliffs Update was, but plans could change later on (the Caves and Cliffs Update was also meant to be one part).

Like with every Minecraft release, The Wild Update is heading to Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and Minecraft: Java Edition, which is available on practically every gaming platform imaginable. The Wild Update should also be closer in parity across Minecraft versions than previous updates.

We’ll continue to update this section as we learn more about when The Wild Update is coming to Minecraft players everywhere, including when Mojang begins early testing of features and changes through its beta and snapshot programs.

What are the features and gameplay of The Wild Update for Minecraft?

The Wild Update may not be quite as grand in scale as the highly ambitious Caves and Cliffs Update that predates it, but it still contains a plethora of brand-new features and improvements to Minecraft. As Mojang Studios divulges more details on what’s included in The Wild Update, we’ll update the below sections with everything we learn. With new biomes, mobs, blocks and items, and several other changes, The Wild Update is another exciting addition to everything that makes Minecraft great.

Biomes

Minecraft has many biomes to speak of, each with its own unique attributes and reasons for players to visit. With The Wild Update, Mojang is planning to add at least two brand-new biomes to the mix, which aim to diversify the Minecraft Overworld and make it more interesting to explore, even when you’re underground. Here’s what you need to know about the new biomes in The Wild Update for Minecraft.

• Mangrove swamps. The first new biome being introduced in The Wild Update are mangrove swamps, which tweak the classic and beloved swamp with a brand-new kind of tree. You guessed it, Mojang is adding mangrove trees to Minecraft. These trees feature a unique design with massive roots, but that’s not all that makes the mangrove swamps interesting. Some of the features include:
  • The aforementioned mangrove trees, which are made of an all-new variant of wood that players can use for crafting or building
  • Mud blocks, which can also be used for crafting or building, like for creating the awesome-looking mud bricks
  • Frogs, which are a passive mob with unique behaviors and attributes, including a separate form when they’re babies (tadpoles!)
  • Fireflies, which are the favorite food of frogs
• The Deep Dark. There’s also The Deep Dark, a biome that many Minecraft players may already be familiar with. That’s because this biome was originally intended to drop with the Caves and Cliffs Update, but has been postponed so that Mojang can expand and improve upon it with new features. Some of these features include:
  • Being an underground biome, buried deep under mountains of deepslate
  • Ancient ruins of cities and long-lost civilizations, which may be filled with treasure and secrets
  • The enigmatic sculk blocks, which are able to detect sound through vibrations in the air, and give off redstone signals
  • The Warden, an incredibly dangerous mob that tracks down players by detecting sound, and guards the secrets of The Deep Dark

With the addition of new biomes, of course comes the arrival of new mobs. Mojang is expanding the Minecraft ecosystems with a variety of new mobs, all of which add something new to the game. You may have already spotted them up above, but here are even more details on every mob being added in The Wild Update for Minecraft.

• Frogs. For some reason, frogs may end up being one of the most exciting mob additions to Minecraft in a long time. These adorable hoppy peeps aren’t just here for show — they’re also first to do a few things in Minecraft. Some of the highlights of frogs include:
  • Being the first cold-blooded mob in Minecraft, which means that their appearance as fully grown adults changes depending on where they grow up! Tadpoles can grow into one of three different variants, with each one corresponding to a different temperature
  • Having a different form as a child. That’s right, frogs are the first mob in Minecraft that aren’t just miniature versions of themselves as babies. Tadpoles are coming to Minecraft, and they’ll be the ones growing into these cute frogs
  • Loving to jump and hop on dripleaf and lilypads. Frogs are known for their hopping, and that certainly isn’t changing here. Frogs in Minecraft will hang out on dripleaf and lilypads, and they’ll be sure to get in plenty of leaps while doing so
  • Feeding on fireflies. Another new mob being added in Minecraft with The Wild Update, frogs will actively seek out and feast on any nearby fireflies
• Fireflies. As mentioned above, fireflies are also being added to Minecraft in The Wild Update. We don’t know much about these bugs at the moment, other than they’ll be the favorite food of frogs everywhere.
• The Warden. This terrifying mob is almost boss-like, and will prowl The Deep Dark biome in search of trespassing players. The Warden doesn’t have any vision, which means it relies on sounds and vibrations to make its way around. If you want to avoid a fight with The Warden (recommended unless you’re seriously powered up), you’ll need to sneak around The Deep Dark to survive.
• Sculk shriekers. This abnormal mob tends to live near sculk sensors and blocks, and makes a ton of noise whenever a nearby sculk sensor detects movement or vibrations. This terrifying shriek can attract The Warden, so watch out! Also, sculk shriekers cause the surrounding area to darken considerably for a few moments when it screams.

Blocks & items

Minecraft is a game all about blocks. The entire world is made of blocks, after all. Minecraft is also all about crafting, and these two facets often go hand-in-hand. With The Wild Update, Mojang is introducing a variety of new blocks and items for players to use. Here’s what you need to know about the blocks and items coming in The Wild Update for Minecraft.

• Mangrove wood. A new kind of wood, mangrove wood can be found in mangrove trees, which are in turn found in mangrove swamps. Nothing surprising there.
• Mud blocks. The latest building block to join Minecraft is the mud block, which features a unique look and a variety of use cases, including being crafted into mud bricks.
• Sculk blocks. One of the most interesting additions to Minecraft in ages, sculk blocks are a peculiar form of block found only in The Deep Dark biome. These blocks can detect sound and vibrations in the air, and give off a redstone signal corresponding to the strength of the vibrations. Players are sure to find some amazing uses for this unique redstone-related block.
• Boats with chests. This is probably one of the most requested features from the Minecraft community. While minecarts with chests have been in the game for a while, players have been looking for a way to transport goods over water for a while. With The Wild Update, players will be able to craft boats with chests to accomplish exactly that. Yes, you can use the new mangrove wood, too.

Other changes

Beyond the big three categories, there are other changes and tweaks Mojang Studios might be planning on incorporating with The Wild Update for Minecraft. We’ll keep track of any features that slip between the cracks here, as well as the overarching focuses of The Wild Update.

• A renewed focus on parity. Parity between Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and Minecraft: Java Edition has been steadily improving for years, and has reached new milestones with the Caves and Cliffs Update. However, with The Wild Update, Mojang intends to continue focusing on bringing these two wildly different versions of the same game closer together. It remains to be seen what exactly this will look like, but any improvement to Minecraft parity is welcomed.
• A focus on feature quality. The Wild Update is understandably smaller in size than the Caves and Cliffs Update, but this also means that Mojang Studios can focus wholeheartedly on not only ensuring The Wild Update features are polished and complete, but that existing mechanics and systems are improved and provide the experience Mojang originally intended them to. It’s not clear exactly what improvements we can expect from The Wild Update yet, but it’s always good to hear these intentions.
• A change to how sound works. You may have already guessed from the addition of sculk blocks and The Warden, but Mojang intends to drastically alter how sound works in Minecraft (a lot of this has already been in testing). Different actions and sounds will cause various levels of vibration, which can be detected by The Warden and sculk blocks. This includes walking and running, eating, using tools and weapons, placing blocks, mob and villager noises, and more.

The Wild Update is the next Minecraft release, and will undoubtedly help secure Minecraft’s position as one of the best Xbox games you can play. It will also likely inspire a new wave of Minecraft toys and gifts, especially The Warden.