Christen Cohen

**Minecraft ** players can have a first proper look at multiple new features included in the Caves & Cliffs _ update thanks to a recently released snapshot for the Java Edition. The test client comes shortly after the community was treated to an early representation of mischievous goats and powder snow, also included in the upcoming update, via a _Minecraft Bedrock Edition beta rele Although there’s plenty of time left until the next major Minecraft update comes out, Microsoft is already taking steps toward uniting the game’s ecosystem scattered across several different versions. In a seemingly unwelcome attempt to promote Microsoft accounts, the company has made them mandatory to login to Minecraft Java Edition . It’s weird that it hasn’t happened earlier given that Mojang was purchased six years ago. Perhaps Microsoft was hoping to migrate the entirety of the Minecraft community over to Bedrock Edition, but Java Edition remains overwhelmingly popular thanks to its limitless modding possibilit According to the official site blog post by Mojang , the list of features included in the 20w45a snapshot is pretty impressive, although it doesn’t cover all the novelties that the Caves & Cliffs _ update is about to add to _Minecraft . Perhaps, the most enticing addition is the introduction of bundles – specialized items that are used to carry and store other items. These are not proper backpacks, unfortunately, as their internal space is limited to a single stack, although it could be any combination of items. For instance, a bundle can contain 32 blocks of stone, 16 blocks of iron ore, and 4 ender pearls - or 64 different individual blocks. Apart from that, the 20w45a snapshot contains amethyst blocks spawning in clusters, new candle decorative items, blocks of copper (and, obviously, copper ore along with craftable recipes), and last but not least, spyglass and tinted glass, both of which require extremely rare amethyst shards. Players should be aware that the snapshot can potentially corrupt their save games, therefore it's highly recommended to back up the fi The Caves & Cliffs update was announced via a detailed and thorough livestream at the beginning of October. The expansion was revealed to include a completely revamped cave system with new biomes and generation guidelines. On top of that, the update will bring new mobs, blocks, crafting materials, ore, and much more. There’s even a fully functional archeology sys Mushroom Island biomes are few and far between, but even when you do find them, they make for poor base building locations due to their lack of diverse resources. That being said, **this seed gives you a possible base location on a tiny island surrounded by "useless" Mushroom Fields ** , challenging veteran Minecraft players to make a home while starting with almost noth Minecraft speedrunning can be exciting to watch on its own, but it's moments like these that make streaming so special. Sure, Twitch 's ads can be invasive, and the platform itself makes a mistake almost every month that causes an uproar in the community . But thanks to a poorly timed condom ad, over 40k people have been exposed to the world of _Minecraft _ speedrunning. This will definitely be a memorable moment for Kiryukoe to put in his speedrunning spank b While Minecraft Java Edition has always been a generally separate experience with greater creative freedom and the ability to take advantage of installing user-created modifications, it has recently undergone a unification process. Soon, the game will also require a Microsoft account to launch and log in for existing owners, which will bring it closer to the family of Minecraft products. With that in mind, Java Edition remains an independent game unlike Bedrock Edition , which is available on literally every imaginable gaming platform with cross-play support but is limited to officially offered additional content via Microsoft St With the latest snapshot, **Minecraft ** players will get a proper taste of what’s to come with the anticipated _Caves & Cliffs _ update. Although the majority of game-changing features are still unavailable until the update arrives, gamers can check out some minor additions that are nonetheless exciting. On top of that, the recent snapshot can help detect any bugs and conflicts that might be unintentionally brought up by new mechanics. Overall, it’s a matter of creating the best experience possible when the update eventually comes A Minecraft _ speedrunning tournament was interrupted at its climax by a rather invasive Twitch ad for condoms. This serves as yet another reason why Twitch's random midroll ads are a terrible idea, but at least the 600 or so _Minecraft fans watching the tournament were educated on the importance of reproductive protect It’s unquestionably nice that Mojang decided to let its community test some of the features included in the Caves & Cliffs expansion. It is expected to add tons of new content being arguably the most innovative and rich update in the history of **Minecraft ** , but it is still months away - and players want something to fool around right now. While goats and powder snow are nowhere near the most anticipated changes included in the update, they are nonetheless exciting enough to distract the community from a potential content draught until Caves & Cliffs finally sees the light of