Ranking the Best Minecraft Updates of All Time

Minecraft has gone through many updates since its humble beginnings in 2010.

Along the way, the game has evolved massively. But some of these hugely influential updates stand taller than the rest.

With that, here’s our list of the best Minecraft updates of all time.

#5 - Minecraft 1.14: Village & Pillage Update

In Minecraft, players aren’t alone in settling a new World. Villages add a ton of depth to the game by giving players another humanoid to interact with. Along with Villagers, there are also Illagers, which were introduced in Minecraft 1.14.

The Village & Pillage update added a ton of depth to Villages and Villagers alike, including new trading mechanics, and introduced over 50 new blocks and 7 new mobs. Among these new mobs is Illagers, introducing a new hostile faction to the world of Minecraft.

#4 - Minecraft 1.5: The Redstone Update

Redstone holds tons of potential in Minecraft, and this is largely thanks to Minecraft 1.5, the Redstone Update.

This update expanded Redstone massively, adding the comparator, daylight sensor, dropper, hopper, Redstone block, trapped chest, and weighted pressure plates.

With these new tools, players have created some truly elaborate inventions that would never have been possible before Minecraft 1.5. While it may not have had the biggest impact on the average Minecraft player, the sheer possibilities of the Redstone Update earns its spot on the list.

#3 - Minecraft 1.17: Caves and Cliffs Part 1

Minecraft Caves and Cliffs was originally set to be the biggest update in Minecraft history, and even after being split in half, both parts of Caves and Cliffs were huge releases.

While Minecraft 1.17 was the first taste of Caves and Cliffs features, it only lands at #3 on our list. This is because some of the more significant features moved to the second part of Caves and Cliffs. Some of these even moved to Minecraft 1.19 The Wild Update!

While Minecraft 1.17 was missing some things players were looking forward to in Caves and Cliffs, it still managed to introduce some fantastic new additions. These include new mobs like Mountain Goats and Axolotls and new blocks like Amethyst geodes, Azalea, Dripstone, and Copper.

#2 - Minecraft 1.16: The Nether Update

The Nether was previously an area largely written off by Minecraft players, that is until Minecraft 1.16, the Nether Update.

The Nether Update massively reworked the Nether with tons of great changes alongside the addition of four new Nether biomes. These biomes add new life to the Nether and add to the scary abyss with all kinds of new sights to see.

Along with the new biomes, Minecraft 1.16 introduce new mobs like the Piglin, Strider, Zoglin, and Hoglin.

#1 - Minecraft 1.18: Caves and Cliffs Part 2

The last Minecraft update, Minecraft 1.18, has gone beyond any patch before it to deliver some massive changes to the game from (below) the ground up.

This comes in the form of systematic changes to world generation in Minecraft, including a new system for Mountains and Caves, as well as ore distribution.

These changes make more of an impact than any other Minecraft update. After all, you'll never start a world in Minecraft from now on and not feel these changes.

Beyond these systematic changes Caves and Cliffs Part 2 also introduced several new biomes, and cleaned up a ton of bugs as well.

In the end, while other Minecraft updates may be flashier, Minecraft 1.18 Caves and Cliffs Part 2 takes the spot as the best Minecraft update so far for the important new changes and features it introduced to the game.