Your adventures in Minecraft are going to take you to fantastic (and oftentimes horrifying) places. From literal Hell to the very edge of existence, the game’s areas are diverse, with each offering something new for you to explore. Even the game’s deep forests contain enormous, mysterious abandoned mansions filled with treasure and enemies. The Deep Dark is another biome made for players to explore, complete with its own mysteries far beneath the earth. While it’s officially going to be added to the game in its upcoming 1.19 Wild update, a new Minecraft Snapshot has given us a sneak peek at the upcoming biome. Here’s how you can find the Deep Dark, and discover what’s awaiting you at the depths of Minecraft’s overworld.
Where Can The Deep Dark be Found?
As its name implies, the Deep Dark can only be found far underground, although not beyond the depths most players are already digging to. The Deep Dark spawns randomly underground, usually beneath Y=0. Of course, that gives this a lot of space to actually spawn in, seeing as how Minecraft’s world now extends all the way down to Y=-64
If you’re not sure what level you’re at, hit the F3 key and an overlay packed with information will pop up. You are able to find your XYZ coordinates here.
Deep Dark biomes can likewise be found deep underneath mountains. If you come across a particularly large mountain, digging into it even at ground-level can lead you straight into one. During our testing, we found that under particularly large mountains, usually found in Stony Peaks biomes, Deep Dark can even spawn as high as Y=70. Despite that, finding one of these usually means digging deep into the earth.
What Can You Find in Deep Dark Biomes?
Deep Dark biomes are home to two identifying features: Ancient Cities and Sculk. Ancient Cities are rare generated structures that only spawn in the Deep Dark. Filled with cobble buildings and pathways, you can find treasure stashed in chests throughout the area.
Chances are, you are going to stumble upon a Warden if you aren’t careful. They don’t just wander around like zombies or skeletons though. Instead, they only spawn when certain conditions are met. First, a nearby Sculk Shrieker has to be activated three or more times, which can be accomplished by simply walking past it repeatedly. The light level around the player also has to be less than 11. If both of these conditions are met, a Warden will spawn somewhere near the activated Sculk Shrieker. These mini-bosses can easily take out any trespassers with just a couple of hits.
Sculk on the other hand is the identifying trait of Deep Dark biomes. As soon as you see these mossy, deep green and blue blocks, you know you’re in the Deep Dark. There are a few different Sculk blocks: basic Sculk, Sculk Catalysts, Sculk Shriekers, and Sculk Sensors. Regardless of which kind you come across, they’re broken the fastest with a hoe, and can only be picked up by using a tool with the silk touch enchantment.
Whereas regular Sculk is only good for decorating at the moment, Sculk Shriekers and Sculk Sensors have their own uses. Sculk Sensors can detect vibrations in the ground in a nine block radius, producing a small redstone signal whenever they do. Effectively, these sensors can be used as wide-area pressure plates, activating a contraption whenever someone steps in an area rather than on a specific block.
Sculk Shriekers on the other hand promise a good way to scare your fellow Minecraft players. True to their name, these blocks let out a scream whenever they’re activated, either by a redstone signal, a nearby Sculk Sensor, or by someone stepping on them. After shrieking, they also apply the Darkness debuff to all players within 40 blocks for 12 seconds.
If you want to grow your own Sculk in Minecraft’s overworld, you have to harvest a Sculk Catalyst. By killing a mob around this block, some of the blocks directly underneath that mob will be turned into Sculk. However, to cultivate your Sculk growth be sure to trim back the Sculk Veins that spread whenever new Sculk is spawned as well. Sculk Veins, which can also go underwater, can cause other blocks to become Sculk as well.
What Will Minecraft 1.19 Change?
Whenever it arrives, Minecraft’s Wild update will add the Deep Dark to the game officially, along with a ton of other new content. A new biome, the Mangrove Swamp, will also be introduced. Packed with mud and large Mangrove trees, the biome will also serve as a home for two new mobs, Frogs and Fireflies.
Packed with mud and large Mangrove trees, the biome will also serve as a home for two new mobs, Frogs and Fireflies.
Outside of the swamps, you’ll be able to find two more new mobs in Minecraft after its 1.19 Wild update drops. The first, Allays, can be found either in Woodland Mansions or as prisoners in Pillager Outposts. Once freed and given an item, these helpful sprites will follow you around, picking up any more of that item that it sees until it has a full stack. Wardens on the other hand are terrifying new mobs that make their homes in Ancient Cities, a set of generated structures only found in the Deep Dark.
