After over 10 years of being a well-known video game that people from all around the world played and enjoyed, Minecraft is still alive and kicking. This is especially true with the new 1.18 update coming out on November 30th, 2021.

The new Minecraft update 1.18 is a game changer, as it will be completing the caves and cliffs update that proceeds after 1.17. There will be new biomes and mobs that will be added to the game. This new update has been hyped up and people have been waiting for it for a year now, and it would definitely bring back some relevance to Minecraft.

The relevance of the game is definitely a topic that has been lingering for a while, especially in the past few years when it wasn’t as played as it used to be. 9th grader Kevin Hoffman says that “Minecraft is definitely relevant because of youtubers and the long anticipated cave update but i think it is slowly dying.”

“I think it will give the game a boost in popularity for a year, but unless they make a big change after, the game’s player base will die down,” Hoffman continues. This is usually the case when games release new updates. 

Despite the decline of Minecraft’s relevance, the update is bound to pull some former players back to the game, and even new ones thanks to the new features and improvements and changes to world generation and landscapes. 

Because of this, many players, old and new, are excited for the new update. “When it comes to the Caves and Cliffs part, I think that it looks cool, very aesthetically pleasing,” says Elly Duarte, a 9th grade former Minecraft player.

Additionally, the new update also includes a lot of in-game benefits when it comes to gameplay. “The new features are very good if you find the right spots. The new ravines and cliffs are good for coal and other resources,” said Abraham Cardona, a student at NHHS who used to play Minecraft. 

Although, there are some downsides to the update, such as the fact that the caves and cliffs update was split in half, making many players question whether it was worth the wait or not. “I think that Mojang made a dumb and irrational decision to separate it into 2 parts (1.17-1.18). It will have been worth the wait but I still think it should’ve been fully released in 1 complete part,” Hoffman says.

“I am very disappointed with this change. Minecraft promised us the warden in 1.17 but failed to do so. Then they say it will come out in 1.18, but then at the last minute they don’t. Minecraft was hyping this update a lot yet they didn’t even add it to the game. It’s ridiculous,” Munibe continued. 

Although 1.18 had its flaws, there were still very likeable features and additions to the game in the Caves & Cliffs update. “Pretty good update, I really liked the amethyst idea, although I already got used to it, and it doesn’t seem as new as it did before,” said Justyna Myśliwiec, a student who used to play Minecraft a lot during the 1.17 update.

Overall, Minecraft 1.18 is an exciting update that really changes the world generation and brings new landscapes and features into the game. The update has its pros and cons, but there is definitely one thing for sure; it brought a lot of players back into the game.