Minecraft Update 1.18, otherwise known as Caves and Cliffs Part 2, is now available across all Minecraft Bedrock Edition platforms, but it's missing one key feature: Wardens. The big update has been eagerly anticipated by players after Mojang previously announced that Cliffs and Caves would be split into two parts. After Part 1 was released to players earlier this year, the team is ready to close out the year with the second and final part of Cliffs and Caves, but players are still waiting for the new kind of Mob: the Minecraft Warden, which was pushed out of this update way back when it was planned for the summer and is now scheduled for much later. Here's when you can expect to face down this towering fiend.

　　

Minecraft Warden release date

Previously announced during Minecraft Live earlier this Fall, the once-planned Warden Mob is not a part of Cliffs and Caves. Instead, the Warden will arrive in 2022’s The Wild update, which is currently without a concrete release date. Once the update arrives, the Warden will appear in a new setting called The Deep Dark, setting the mood for one of Minecraft’s scariest Mobs yet.

　　

What is the Minecraft Warden?

With the Warden, one wrong step could be your tomb.Players are eager to take on this new Mob due to its unique features and fighting style. The Warden brings a bit of horror influence to Minecraft, as it can insta-kill any player not wearing Netherite armor--and needs only two hits to kill players who do have that elite armor equipped. Combined with its daunting size and power, this gives the Warden a personality akin to Michael Myers: an unstoppable force not to be trifled with. Even Mojang said players should think of the new Mob as a “natural disaster” rather than a boss fight. You’re meant to evade and escape a Warden, not fight it head-on.

　　However, the monster is also blind, meaning it can only track players by sound. Therefore, its singular weakness can be exploited as a means to survive another night, or, for the really daring players, get the drop on the Warden. The Warden will follow noises it hears, be they yours, an ally’s, or those of a friendly Mob, such as a pet you’ve brought on your adventure. It’s truly a one-monster wrecking crew. It even grows stronger as you fight it, but this is Minecraft, so undoubtedly, some players will try to defeat it.

　　Assuming that’s even possible, we don’t know yet what can be earned by defeating a Warden, but expect that to be the topic of many Minecraft videos in the near future. You’re better off sneaking around the Warden and seeking out some of the high-tier loot likely to be scattered around The Deep Dark, but if we can’t convince you not to try, we wish you luck and we’ll provide whatever help we can once the Minecraft Warden launches in 2022 and we can get our hands on it--or it gets its hands on us.

　　Mark Delaney on Google+