Caves & Cliffs has been postponed and will be divided into two changes - Minecraft 1.17 update

 Mojang promises a smaller update this summer and the rest by the holidays.

The long-awaited Caves & Cliffs update for Minecraft has been postponed. According to Mojang, the project needs more time in order to avoid “wreaking havoc on your carefully designed worlds.” As a result, it will be divided into two sections.

The first will be released this summer, and the second will be released “around the holiday season,” according to Mojang. Rushing to complete the expansion this summer, as the studio originally stated in October, "would have meant sacrificing efficiency."

“Because of the scope of this update and the major improvements it brings to the Overworld as a whole, there are significant technological obstacles we need to address before some sections of the update are ready to ship,” the studio said. The overhaul to world generation, for example, has a significant impact on the game's build height.

“Not only do we have to think about any possible impact on the environment, but we also have to think about how it will affect performance,” Mojang said. “Basically, adding more content to the game slows it down, which is something we want to avoid.”

According to Mojang, the global COVID-19 pandemic hindered development on Caves & Cliffs, with work-from-home policies hindering developers' collaboration and adding a lot more time to collective efforts.

“This was not an easy decision, and we're disappointed that some of the most exciting features will be delayed,” Mojang said. “Nonetheless, it's the best option for keeping our team safe, happy, and ready to produce awesome updates for many years to come,” Mojang said.

Cliffs & Caves was revealed about six months ago at Minecraft Live. Caves would have more variety and features, such as waterfalls, interior lakes, and massive caverns, as well as new mobs to inhabit them, according to the update.

The PC version of the nearly 10-year-old game and franchise, which Microsoft acquired in 2014, recently received a significant update that introduced ray-traced lighting capabilities. Early in December, the update was released.