Minecraft guide: How to find all the new biomes in ‘the Nether Update’
Explore the Nether once again.
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At the time of writing, Mojang is planning a staggeringfivedifferent biomes forthe Netherthat will overhaul the entire dimension in the upcomingNether Update. It’s been a while sinceMinecraftsaw such a significant update to a specific portion of the game, and it turns the Nether from a barren wasteland only useful for its resources to a viable—if dangerous—place to make a home. Here are a few tips for recognizing and finding the different biomes in the Nether.
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Minecraft is a veritable, inarguable, and complete success. It has sold copies in the hundreds of millions, has a massive following of dedicated players, and lets you unlock your every creative desire. It’s also available on every platform imaginable, including Xbox One, Windows 10, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. Play with anyone, and play anywhere.
Finding all the new biomes in the Nether Update
There are now a total of five biomes in the Nether, and every biome has its reasons for existing. The Nether we all know and love is being rebranded to nether wastes, and it’s now joined by crimson and warped forests, soulsand valleys, and basalt deltas. Here’s how you can recognize what biome you’re looking at, and why you should care.
Nether wastes
The nether wastes are the most familiar biome in the Nether because they’re pretty much what the Nether was before Mojang started changing things up. This means vast oceans of lava (perfect for finding the newstrider mobthat you can ride), mountains of netherrack, and occasional nether fortresses to explore and conquer. You won’t have to look hard to find these, since the nether wastes remain the most common biome in the Nether, and often connects other biomes together. Less exciting now, but still needed.
Crimson forests
Crimson forests can be hard to spot at first, since their bright red hues can blend into the aforementioned nether wastes. Look closer, however, and you’ll notice a lot more vegetation than you’d expect in the Nether. Vivid scarlet trees, crimson fungi, weeping vines, and bright shroomlights can all spawn here. Even more importantly, you can also findpiglinsandhoglinshere. That makes the crimson forest awesome for efforts to live in the Nether since you have sources of wood, food, and commerce here.
Warped forests
Warped forests are the antithesis to crimson forests, trading aggressive colors and life for subdued environments occupied only by the brooding endermen. Warped forests still provide sources of wood, but you’ll never find hoglins here. If you have a crimson forest nearby for food, warped forests can be a perfectly suitable base, since there’s a distinct lack of hostile mobs around the place. Just beware of the endermen. Look for blue-green colors and purple particles to let you know you’re in a warped forest.
Soulsand valleys
Soulsand valleys are amongst the more dangerous of the new biomes because they’re made almost entirely of soul sand and the new soul soil. That means being here without the right gear can lead to drastically slowed movement, not to mention these biomes are the favorite hangouts for ghasts and skeletons. How can you know you’ve found a soulsand valley? A lot of brown and white blocks burning with a beautiful blue flame, and a weird instinctual urge to turn around and run. Until you’re properly decked out, that is.
Basalt deltas
There are fewer biomes I love more than the basalt deltas in all of Minecraft. We’ve already seenjust how beautiful these biomes can look. Still, pictures don’t quite capture the essence of these eerily gorgeous biomes. Or how chaotic and dangerous they are. These biomes are characterized by squatting mountains of blackstone, pillars of basalt, and sporadic pools of lava. Oh, and magma cubes love it here. This is the only Nether biome where you’ll never find the new bastion remnant strongholds since it’s simply too difficult to build here. Basalt deltas are a case of “look, but don’t touch.”
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It’s like a completely different place
With four new biomes to play in, this isn’t the same Nether you played in as a kid. This is a home for the hardcore Minecraft players that love to live on the edge of the seat every day, and don’t mind working three times as hard to do it. It’s also a Nether with far more beauty and life than we’ve ever seen before, and there’s never been more reason to brave the dangers of this nightmarish landscape.
What do you think of the new biomes? Have you discovered all of them already? Let us know in the comments below!
Available everywhere you play.
Minecraft is a veritable, inarguable, and complete success. It has sold copies in the hundreds of millions, has a massive following of dedicated players, and lets you unlock your every creative desire. It’s also available on every platform imaginable, including Xbox One, Windows 10, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. Play with anyone, and play anywhere.
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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter@BoddyZachary.
