Disclaimer: The following article is fanmade and is not an official update of Minecraft.

Minecraft 1.17, released on July 15, 2021, serves as a "part 2" of the Nether Update and a small pre-update before the MC Grand Revamp in Minecraft 2.0 which adds 12 new dimensions, among other additions. There is no official name referring to the entire update, but a part of it has the official name "Nether Update Part II", and in Java Edition, part of the "Cave Update". In Java Edition, this is the first of the 4 updates to add Cave Update features; the others are 1.18/2.0, 2.1, and 2.2.

Red: Nether Update Part II, Blue: Cave Update

Additions

Blocks

Allow, deny, and border blocks

• Added to Java Edition.
• Functions similarly to their Bedrock Edition counterparts.

Block X

• Cannot be crafted in vanilla Minecraft.
  
• Cannot be found in the creative inventory, and only available with commands such as /give and /setblock.
  
• Has a texture identical to that of the structure block's inventory model, but can be customized independently.
• Has a hardness similar to obsidian, and drops itself.
• Emits a light level of 9.
• In Java Edition, can be used to set your spawn point in custom dimensions. Explodes when used in vanilla dimensions, similar to beds and respawn anchors.
• During development of Java Edition 1.17, it had gone by the names "Diamond Anvil", "Chiseled Quartz Bricks", "Work In Progress", "Nether Reactor Core", and "X".
  
• Its texture changed with its name, first being an anvil with a diamond block texture, then a variant of quartz bricks, then the 12w38a texture of the beacon, then the texture of the nether reactor core.
• It has been uncraftable since its name changed to "Work In Progress".
• It received its final texture change when it was renamed "X".
• In Bedrock Edition, nether reactor cores received this functionality but cannot be crafted again, then were changed into this block.

Brimstone

• Generates in bastion remnants.
• Can generate in chests in bastion remnants.
• Can be crafted with a dry sponge surrounded by 8 blackstone.
• Soaks up lava up to 5 blocks away from itself, similar to sponge
• When used, turns into pumice.
  

Deep snow

• Generates above y=100 in mountains biomes.
• When inside this block, the player is slowed down, more than soul sand, but not as much as cobwebs.
• Can be crafted with 2 snow blocks in a vertical arrangement.
• When broken with a shovel, drops 5-9 snowballs.

Hardened obsidian

• The only indestructible block obtainable in survival Minecraft.
• Crafted from 4 obsidian blocks in a square arrangement.
• When first placed, takes 1 second to break with a diamond pickaxe, and drops 4 obsidian blocks.
• After 1-2 minutes, it emits smoke particles and the sound of a fire extinguishing.
• When that happens, the texture changes and the block becomes indestructible.
• When placed in creative mode, becomes indestructible in survival immediately.
• Has a blast resistance of 4,800,000, the highest out of all blocks. Changed to 3,600,000 (same as most indestructible blocks) in 1.17.1.
• Behaves like bedrock and other indestructable blocks in many ways.
• Can be used to create nether portals.

Limestone

• Generates in veins underground between y=0 and y=128
• Only used for decoration.
• In deserts, badlands, and their variants, it often replaces stone exposed to caves
• Has slab, stairs, and wall versions
• Has a polished variants, which has slab and stairs versions
• Since this is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Netherite stairs

• Re-added netherite stairs.
• Can only be obtained with /setblock (it has no inventory form) or by loading a world from 20w14infinite which contains them.
• Drops a block of netherite when broken. When broken with Silk Touch, drops nothing and displays a message in the action bar.
• The message displayed when broken with Silk Touch is "There are no netherite stairs in Minecraft."
• Functionally the same as in 20w14infinite.
• Exclusive to Java Edition.
• In 1.17.1, are a block state of obsidian stairs, and the block state is removed in 1.17.2.

Obsidian slabs, stairs, and walls

• Added obsidian slabs, stairs, and walls.
• Crafted like other slabs, stairs, and walls, but with obsidian blocks.
• Can be made with a stonecutter.
• Has the same blast resistance and takes the same amount of time to break as obsidian.

Pumice

• Obtained when brimstone soaks up lava.
• Floats on lava, similar to netherite
• Used only for decoration.
• Has slab and stairs forms.
• Has a polished form, which also has slabs and stairs. Unlike regular pumice, polished pumice does not float in lava.
• The pumice block itself is part of the Nether Update Part II and is added in Bedrock Edition 1.17.0, but the slab, stairs, polished, polished slab, and polished stairs forms are part of the Cave Update and is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0.

Quartz brick slabs and stairs

• Added quartz brick slabs and stairs.
• Crafted like other slabs and stairs, but with quartz bricks.

Salt Ore

• Generates between layers 32 and 144 in the Overworld, at a rate similar to iron
• When mined with any pickaxe, drops 1-3 salt
• First ore to be added to the Overworld since 1.3.1
• Since this is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Block of Salt

• Crafted from 4 salt.
• Can be crafted into 4 salt.
• Generates in salt licks in desert and badlands biomes.
• Since this is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Sandstone Bricks

• Crafted from 4 cut sandstone.
• Can be made with a stonecutter.
• Has a slab and stair version.
• Has red sandstone variants.
• Since this is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Items

Cheese

• Crafted from 1 milk and 1 salt.
• When eaten, restores 5 hunger.
• Since this is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Emerald paste

• Obtained by smelting emeralds.
• In 1.17, cannot be found in the creative inventory, and anything pertaining to them are hidden from command auto-completes. In 1.17.1 and above, they can be found in the creative inventory and command auto-complete.
• Can be brewed with a mundane potion into a potion of invisibility.
  
• Villagers will try to avoid players holding emerald paste, dropped emerald paste, or emerald paste in an item frame.
• The player loses 1 popularity for every 20 seconds holding this item within a village.
• Added between the release candidate and the release, and was not mentioned in official changelogs, as Mojang intended the item as a "surprise".
  

Goat milk

• Obtained by milking a goat with a bucket.
• When drank, removes all status effects and restores 2 hunger points
• Wandering traders may drink it instead of regular milk when in mountain biomes.

Goat cheese

• Crafted from 1 goat milk and 1 salt.
• When eaten, restores 6 hunger.
• Since this is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Mistflower

• A new food item, resembling a blue flower.
• Generates in warped forests and mistflower meadows in the Nether.
• Restores anywhere between 2 to 6 hunger points when eaten. This is the first food item to restore a variable amount of hunger points.
• Naturally generated mistflowers drop 0-3 mistflower seeds, which can be planted on warped nylium.
• Naturally generated mistflowers repel hoglins, similar to warped fungi.
• Bonemeal on warped nylium can create naturally generated mistflowers.
• Planted mistflowers have 4 growth stages.
• They drop 1 mistflower seeds, unless fully grown, in which case they drop 1-3 mistflower seeds and 1 mistflower.
• Has a 65% chance to raise the composter level by 1.
• Can be obtained by bartering.

Mistflower seeds

• Can be planted on warped nylium and grow mistflower plants.
  
• Can generate in chests in bastion remnants.
• Has a 30% chance to raise the composter level by 1.
• Can be obtained by bartering.

Potions

• The potion of decay is now in both Java and Bedrock editions, and can now be obtained by brewing wither powder and an awkward potion.
• The potion of luck is now in both Java and Bedrock editions, and can now be obtained by brewing mistflower seeds and a mundane potion.
• The potion of invisibility's recipe has changed, and it is now brewed with emerald paste and a mundane potion.
• Added the potion of blindness, which now holds the original recipe of the potion of invisibility. It gives the player Blindness for 1:30, and can be extended with redstone to 4:00. It cannot be found in the creative inventory in 1.17, but it can be found in 1.17.1 and above.
• The two above changes were added between the release candidate and the release.
• They were not mentioned in official changelogs, as Mojang intended them as a "surprise".

Salt

• Obtained by mining salt ore with any pickaxe, or smelting water buckets collected in any of the ocean biomes.
  
• If a water bucket is collected in any ocean biome, attempting to place it will result in salt as a dropped item.
• Can be crafted into salt blocks, cheese, and goat cheese.
• Since this is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Spawn eggs

• Added goat spawn eggs.
• Added Nether bird spawn eggs.

Spectral arrow

• Added to Bedrock Edition.
• Behaves similarly to those in Java Edition.

Wither powder

• 0-1 is dropped by wither skeletons.
• 2-5 is dropped by the wither.
• 4 wither powder can be crafted from 2 wither roses.
• When being held in the main hand, offhand, or any armor slot, the player takes 1 damage every 2 seconds.
• Can be brewed into a potion of decay.

Mobs

Nether birds

• Nether equivalent of bats.
• Have 6 health.
• Spawn anywhere in the Nether.
• Usually seen flying in the air, occasionally sits on a block
• Comes in 6 distinct patterns, corresponding to the Nether biomes.
  
• Each biome can only spawn one pattern of Nether birds.
• Are a passive ambient mob.
• Drop 0-1 feathers when killed.
• Unlike bats, they do not take damage from fire.

Goats

• Have 12 health.
• Spawn in mountain biomes and their variants (except mountain edge) above y=100.
• Are a neutral mob; they do not attack unless provoked.
• Drop 1-3 raw mutton (or cooked mutton if killed while on fire).
  
• Can be bred with wheat.
• Can be milked with a bucket for goat milk.

World generation

Biomes

• Mistflower meadow:
  
• A biome in the Nether that generates warped and crimson nylium. Warped and crimson roots, nether sprouts, and mistflowers may spawn here, but fungi and huge fungi do not. The fog is similar to that of the nether wastes or crimson forest.
• Piglins, hoglins, endermen, and striders may spawn here.
• Unlike in crimson or warped forests, nether fortresses can generate here.

Structures

• Salt licks:
• Patches where the ground is replaced with salt blocks. Can only generate on sand and red sand in desert and badlands biomes, and their variants.
• This is a Cave Update feature, it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0

Command format

Gamerules

• Gamerules are now in lowercase with underscores instead of camelCase, e.g. do_daylight_cycle instead of doDaylightCycle
• Gamerule disableElytraMovementCheck has been renamed to disable_elytra_speed_check and added to Bedrock Edition.
• Added gamerules disable_raids, do_patrol_spawning, do_trader_spawning, forgive_dead_players, max_entity_cramming, and universal_anger to Bedrock Edition.
• forgive_offline_players: Controls whether neutral mobs stop being angry if the target player logs out or switches dimension. Available in both editions.
  

Gameplay

Advancements (Java Edition)

• Added new advancements:
• "Hardest Thing Ever" - Place a block of hardened obsidian and wait for it to become indestructible (located in the Nether tab)
• "The Snow is Snowier" - Spend 1 minute in deep snow. (located in the Adventure tab)

Death messages

• Added a new death message for being killed by holding wither powder:
• "[​player] had death in their hands"

Recipe book

• Added recipe book unlocks for fletching tables.

Sounds

• New sounds for goats have been added.
• New sounds for Nether birds have been added.
• New sounds for walking through deep snow have been added.
  

Status effects

• Added Glowing, Luck, and Bad Luck effects to Bedrock Edition.
• Act similarly and can be obtained in similar ways to their Java Edition counterparts.

General

Languages

• Added Amharic language. (Java Edition)
• Added Bengali language. (Java Edition)
  
• Added Gujarati language. (Java Edition)
• Added Punjabi language. (Java Edition)
• Added Tibetan language. (Java Edition)
  
• Font now supports combining characters.

Music

• Added a new track composed by Lena Raine: "Viridescence"
  
• Plays in warped forests and mistflower meadows.

Particles

• Added the mistflower, mistflower_seed, and snow_tread particles.

Splash

• Added new splashes:
• "Dancing coffins!"
• "There are no netherite stairs"
• "Don't mine at night!"
  
• "Pro tip: Jump"
• "Now with 123 voices!"

Tags (Java Edition only)

• Added item tag #edible:
• Contains all food items.
• Controls what items can be eaten. The amount of hunger an item restores is hard-coded and cannot be changed without mods.
• Added block and item tag #glass_panes:
• Contains glass panes and stained glass panes.
• The block tag is used in #transparent.
• Added block tag #meltable:
• Contains snow layers and ice.
• Used to control which blocks light sources can melt.
• Added block and item tag #nether_portal_materials:
• Contains obsidian and hardened obsidian.
• Controls what blocks can be used to make nether portals.
• Added block and item tag #snow:
• Contains snow, snow blocks, and deep snow. The item tag also contain snowballs.
  
• Added block tag #transparent:
• Contains all transparent blocks.
• Causes blocks to behave as transparent blocks.

Changes

Blocks

Blackstone

• Can now be used to craft dispensers, droppers, levers, observers, and pistons.
  

Campfires

• Can no longer be crafted with crimson or warped stems.

Composter

• Now allows for mistflowers or mistflower seeds to be composted.

Fletching table

• Can now be used to make tipped arrows using a new interface.

Packed Ice and Blue Ice

• Now generate underground in veins in snowy tundra, snowy taiga, snowy beach, and frozen ocean biomes and their variants.
  
• Can now replace stone exposed to caves in snowy tundra, snowy taiga, snowy beach, and frozen ocean biomes and their variants.
• Can now replace stone exposed to caves above y=100 in mountains biomes and their variants.
• Now produces water when broken without Silk Touch.
• This is a Cave Update feature, so it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0.
  

Lava

• Lava source blocks can now be created with flowing lava, similar to water, in the Nether.
  

Netherrack

• Now obtainable via bartering, in stacks of 16-32 with a weight of 40.

Polished Blackstone Bricks

• The word "polished" has been removed from their name. Also applies to its variants.

Sandstone

• Now generates in veins underground in all biomes of the Overworld except for deserts, badlands, and swamps, and their variants.
• Can replace stone exposed to caves in desert and its variants, beach, snowy beach, river, and the ocean biomes.
• Additionally, red sandstone can replace stone in badlands biomes and its variants.
• This is a Cave Update feature, so it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0.

Items

Lava bucket

• Can now be obtained via bartering, in stacks of 1 with a weight of 20.
  

Netherite Hoe

• In Java Edition, can now be obtained via bartering, in stacks of 1 with a weight of 1.

Raw porkchop

• Can now be obtained via bartering, in stacks of 2-8 with a weight of 20.

Cooked porkchop

• Can now be obtained via bartering, in stacks of 2-8 with a weight of 10.

Potions

• Changed the recipe for the potion of invisibility to emerald paste and a mundane potion.
• The original recipe is used for potions of blindness.
• Mojang did not mention the above changes in official changelogs, as they were intended as a "surprise".
• These changes were added between the release candidate and release.

String

• Reduced barter amount from 3-9 to 1-5.

Tipped arrows

• Can no longer be made with a crafting table.
• Now made with a fletching table.

Totem of undying

• Now grants the player 40 seconds of Resistance III when used.

Water bucket

• Now has a property to indicate if it was collected in an ocean biome.
• Water buckets with the property can be smelted into salt.
• If a water bucket with the property is placed in the Nether, it results in salt as a dropped item.
• This is a Cave Update feature, so it is exclusive to Java Edition until Bedrock Edition 1.18.0.

Mobs

Creepers

• Now drop music discs if killed directly by a wither skeleton.
• Now drop music discs if killed by a stray's melee attack.

Sheep

• No longer spawn above y=100 in mountains biomes (except mountain edge) and their variants.
• Sheared sheep above y=110 now shiver and take damage when snowing.

Zoglins

• Now despawn on peaceful difficulty.

World generation

Biomes

• Mountains Edge now naturally generates again, at the edges of mountain biomes.
• Mountains Edge now generates instead of Wooded Mountains or Gravelly Mountains+ between desert and snowy biomes.

Nether biomes

• Biomes in the Nether are now divided into two types, with biomes of the same type placed closer together.
• The first type contains nether wastes, soul sand valleys, and basalt deltas.
• The second type contains crimson forests, warped forests, and mistflower meadows.

Nether fortresses

• Nether bricks in nether fortresses can now be replaced by red, cracked, and chiseled nether bricks, or blackstone bricks and their variants.
• Slightly modified the designs of some parts of nether fortresses.
• Added some new parts to nether fortresses.

Terrain

• Changed terrain noise generator for the mountains biome and its variants, as well as the shattered savanna.
• These biomes now have taller mountains.

Gameplay

Advancements

• Breeding goats can now award "The Parrots and the Bats" advancement, and is required for the "Two By Two" advancement.

Main menu

• Added main menu panoramas containing mistflower meadow and basalt deltas biomes.
• All 1.16 menu panoramas are kept in 1.17.

Subtitles

• Added to Bedrock Edition, where they appear near the top right corner of the screen
• Changed "Flint and Steel click" to "Flint and Steel clicks"

General

Tags (Java Edition only)

• Added hardened obsidian, allow, deny, and border blocks to the #dragon_immune and #wither_immune block tags.
  
• Added Block X to the #dragon_immune block tags.
• The #guarded_by_piglins tag now affects the opening of containers.
• Blocks in the #ice tag now produce water when broken without Silk Touch, and if also in #meltable, now melt into water at a block light level of 11 or more (compare with the default of melting into air at a block light level of 12 or more).
  
• Renamed the #impermeable block tag to #glass. It is now also an item tag.
  
• The #glass tag is now used in #transparent.
• Gold nuggets and powered rails (Java Edition) are now in #piglin_loved.
• Bells, light weighted pressure plates, and powered rails are now in the #guarded_by_piglins block tag.
• Villagers no longer pathfind to beds not in the #beds tag.

Development

Java Edition

1.17

21w01a, 21w02a, 21w03a, 21w03b, 21w04a, 21w06a, 21w08a, 21w09a, 21w09b, 21w10a, 21w10b, 21w10c, 21w11a, 21w12a, 21w12b, 21w13a, 21w14a, 21w16a, 21w17a, 21w19a, 21w20a, 21w22a, 21w22b, 21w22c, 21w22d, 21w23a, 21w25a, Pre-Release 1, Pre-Release 2, Pre-Release 3, Pre-Release 4, Pre-Release 5, Pre-Release 6, Release Candidate 1
Also of noteworthy mention is the April Fools snapshot 21w13+.

1.17.1

1.17.2

Pre-Release 1, Pre-Release 2, Pre-Release 3

Bedrock Edition

1.17.0

1.17.0.01, 1.17.0.02, 1.17.0.03, 1.17.0.05, 1.17.0.09, 1.17.0.12, 1.17.0.13, 1.17.0.21, 1.17.0.50, 1.17.0.51, 1.17.0.52, 1.17.0.53, 1.17.0.54, 1.17.0.55, 1.17.0.60

1.17.1

1.17.1.01

1.17.2

1.17.2.01, 1.17.2.03, 1.17.2.04, 1.17.2.06, 1.17.2.07

Version timeline

A timeline of versions released around the time of 1.17.

Java Edition

• 1.16 (Nether Update)
• 1.16.1
• 1.16.2
• 1.17 (Nether Update Part II, part of Cave Update, and other features)
• 1.17.1
• 1.17.2
• 1.18/2.0 (MC Grand Revamp & part of Cave Update)
• 2.0.1

Bedrock Edition

• 1.16.0 (Nether Update)
• 1.16.1
• 1.16.1.03
• 1.16.1.04
• 1.16.20
• 1.16.21
• 1.17.0 (Nether Update Part II, and other features)
• 1.17.1
• 1.17.2
• 1.18.0 (Cave Update)
• 1.18.1
• 1.18.1.04
• 2.0.0 (MC Grand Revamp)
• 2.0.0.01
• 2.0.1

Trivia

• 1.17 is the first update since 1.3 to have no official name referring to the entire update. However, part of the update is placed under the name "Nether Update Part II", and it is not uncommon for people to use it to refer to the entire update.
• This is the first update to keep version-specific menu panoramas from previous versions since they were introduced in 1.13.
• In Java Edition, Cave Update features are planned to be released gradually, between versions 1.17 and 2.2. However, in Bedrock Editions, all Cave Update features are released between 1.17.x and 2.0.x, in versions 1.18.x, making most Cave Update features, except those introduced in 1.17, Bedrock Edition exclusives when they were first introduced.
  
• After 1.17, there is a brief moment where version numbers are not the same between Java and Bedrock editions, when the Cave Update features are released on Bedrock Edition in 1.18.0. Soon after, the phase number was incremented to 2 on both platforms, the first time it has been incremented since they were re-introduced in Alpha in July 2010 on Java Edition, or since version 1.0.0 in December 2016 on Bedrock Edition.

What's your favourite part of this fanmade update, and which part would you like to see the most in Minecraft? Vote in this forum post!

Also check out this update on the Minecraft Fanon Wiki, and my other fanmade updates there:

• Bedrock Edition 1.18.0 (Cave Update)
  
• Minecraft 2.0 (MC Grand Revamp) (WIP)