List of Minecraft biomes added to the game in 2021

Biomes are a huge part of Minecraft's terrain generation, and this year has brought more than a few new ones for players to explore and enjoy.

2021 has brought biomes along slowly, and most new biomes were introduced in Minecraft 1.18 as part of the Caves & Cliffs Part 2 update. Other biomes have been removed or have had their names changed this year, so there's plenty going on when it comes to generating a Minecraft world. New implementations such as multi-noise generation and the removal of the terrain height limit have pushed biomes even further, creating incredibly well-formed worlds for players to build on to their heart's content.

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Minecraft biomes that were introduced in 2021

1) Slope biomes

Ascending a mountain in Minecraft has taken on a new dimension (Image via Mojang)

Mountains have been reworked significantly in Minecraft 1.18, including the introduction of slope biomes that appear on the sides of newly-generated mountains. These biomes come in multiple variants such as meadows, groves, and snowy slopes.

Depending on which variant appears, there are somewhat different generation parameters, including which animal mobs appear on the slope and the likelihood of vegetation appearing.

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2) Peak biomes

A frozen peak biome in Minecraft 1.18 (Image via Mojang)

In addition to slope biomes, mountain peaks have also been altered in Minecraft 1.18 this year. Since mountains can now reach much further into the sky thanks to the removal of terrain height limitations, the tops of mountains are much more expansive. To account for this, there are multiple variants of peak biomes including frozen, jagged, and stony peaks. These biomes are relatively devoid of animal life (save for a few goats) and are distinguished primarily by their block composition and shape.

Frozen peaks are rife with ice and snow, jagged peaks are made of snow and have large height disparities, and stony peaks are primarily comprised of stone but aren't as erratic as jagged peaks. Though these biomes may not be full of animal life, they can be a great source of ore.

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3) Dripstone caves

Dripstone caves can now fully generate in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Although they were technically introduced alongside lush cave biomes in 2020, 2021's updates to Minecraft have allowed dripstone cave biomes to generate naturally in the game without using experimental gameplay toggles or non-standard map types. These caves feature dripstone, which is capable of funneling fluids like lava and water, in both stalactite and stalagmite form. Dripstone caves also feature water, usually in small pools underneath overhanging dripstone.

These caves are also excellent sources of copper ore, so players may want to take advantage of them if they'd like to score some of the oxidizing ore.

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4) Lush caves

Lush caves are very diverse when it comes to plant life (Image via Mojang)

One of the faces of Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs update both in 2020 and in 2021, lush cave biomes can now naturally generate in worlds without experimental toggles or non-standard world types. These biomes are found underground and are marked by above-ground azalea trees, whose roots can be traced down into the cave system.

Lush caves are chock full of plant life including moss, azalea, dripleaf, spore blossoms, and glow berries. Players can also find water and clay in this biome, which is now required to spawn axolotls. These biomes are one of the most visually appealing in all of Minecraft and have plenty of life teeming within them. They're definitely worth a visit for any Minecraft player that hasn't seen them already.

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