How does sculk catalyst work in Minecraft The Wild Update?

In The Wild Update for Minecraft, Mojang added the sculk catalyst, which is a brand new block. It is part of the new Deep Dark Biome and naturally generates there. Nearly all kinds of sculk blocks have special abilities, including sculk catalyst, and this one can also be used by players in a unique way.

The Deep Dark Biome also consists of a sculk sensor, shrieker, and regular sculk blocks. The Sculk sensor can detect any sound vibration from mobs or players and send a signal that triggers sculk shriekers. These shriekers are one of the most terrifying blocks in the game since they can summon the Warden if players make too much noise. However, the sculk catalyst is speculated to be the sole reason why the Deep Dark Biome exists.

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Sculk catalyst mechanics in Minecraft The Wild Update

Absorbs XP orbs and spreads sculk

Sculk catalyst can absorb XP orbs dropped from mobs and players and spread sculk blocks in Minecraft The Wild Update (Image via Mojang)

The sculk catalyst block has one major feature in the game, which is absorbing XP orbs dropped by dead mobs or players and using them to convert any normal blocks into sculk.

If a mob or player dies within an eight-block radius of a sculk catalyst, it gets activated and offers small soul particles as animation. Along with this, it creates a patch of sculk blocks around the death location of the mob or player. It can only convert blocks that have a "sculk_replaceable" block tag. Initially, regular sculk blocks will be generated; however, if loads of mobs die around the block, new sculk sensors and shriekers will also spawn.

A zombie dying and sculk catalyst soul particle animation in Minecraft The Wild Update (Image via Mojang)

Also, the cause of death of the mob or player is irrelevant. This means that the sculk catalyst will always react no matter how entities die around it. The strength of the sculk spread depends on the number of XP points dropped by the entity. If a player with loads of XP dies, the sculk catalyst will detect that and keep spreading sculk accordingly.

The generation of sculk sensors and shriekers from the sculk catalyst block is quite rare. There is only a 9% chance of a sculk sensor generating and 1% chance of a sculk shrieker spawning. Players do not have to be worried about these blocks since the sculk shriekers that generate from catalysts will not be able to summon the Warden, even if they are triggered.

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Ender Dragon XP orbs and Bottle o' Enchanting do not affect the sculk catalyst in Minecraft The Wild Update (Image via Mojang)

The only mobs and items the sculk catalyst cannot register are Ender Dragon and Bottle o' Enchanting, respectively. If the final boss of the game dies around the sculk catalyst, nothing will happen. Similarly, the block will not spread any sculk even if players drop several Bottles o' Enchanting near it.