As exciting as the swamp changes joining Minecraft in the Wild Update are, the new Deep Dark biome really looks poised to steal the show. It's not every day that Minecraft gets an entirely new biome, especially one that's only found underground, but the Deep Dark looks like a worthy addition. This spooky new region will pit players against the nigh-unstoppable Warden in a test of stealth while providing redstone-minded fans with interesting new Sculk blocks that interact with vibrations in special ways. In addition, Minecraft players who delve deep enough might find spooky ancient cities composed of deepslate and filled with hidden items.
When Mojang first announced the Deep Dark biome and its ancient cities, it didn't reveal the kinds of items that players would find there. Instead, it focused on emphasizing the challenge of the Warden and the cities' atmosphere. For a while, it wasn't clear what Minecraft players would actually get out of making the trek to an ancient city, but now it's clear that Mojang has a good variety of loot in mind. Some of the cities' exclusive items are highly practical, while others contribute a lot to the biome's spooky aesthetic. Altogether, ancient cities certainly look like they're worth the player's time.
Minecraft Loot in Ancient Cities
Minecraft players who discover ancient cities can pick up a lot of niche but handy items when they do. Sculk Sensors, which emit redstone signals when they sense vibrations, are obviously valuable to fans of redstone. Ancient city chests also have iron leggings with an exclusive enchantment: Swift Sneak, which increases the player's movement speed while sneaking. Swift Sneak seems extremely useful for getting around the Warden while exploring the Deep Dark. Players can also find Echo Shards, which can be crafted into a Recovery Compass that points to wherever the player recently died, helping fans get their lost gear back.
Ancient cities also have a few items that simply add some personality. Music loving Minecraft fans may recall that Mojang added a new music disc called Otherside in the 1.18 Minecraft update, but the disc has a very low spawn rate, and can only be found in strongholds and dungeons. Thankfully, Otherside will appear in ancient cities as well, and in slightly higher numbers than elsewhere. Ancient cities also feature a exclusive new item called Disc Fragments. Players who get nine of these fragments can craft it into a new music disc called 5. Music discs may not be particularly utilitarian items, but they're fun Minecraft collectibles that give music enthusiasts good reason to seek out Deep Dark biomes.
Rewarding Minecraft Players for Their Efforts
It's good to see that so many special items can be found in the ancient cities. The cities themselves certainly are breathtaking to look at, but if the only valuable loot they offered was along the lines of diamonds and enchanted books, then Minecraft players would be better off looking for abandoned mineshafts and other common structures, rather than going to the trouble of sneaking past deadly Wardens in search of treasure. Thanks to all the exclusive loot found in ancient cities and the Deep Dark biome, fans get material rewards for looking into this new setting.
Since there isn't a release date for the Wild Update just yet, a lot could still change about the ancient cities. Mojang could cancel some of their exclusive loot or come up with entirely different items to add to the loot tables. At the moment, though, ancient cities look like they're going in a solid direction. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing additions to Minecraft, but their special mechanical features make them valuable to Survival lovers who crave treasure. The ancient cities may just be one of the Wild Update's strongest features.
Minecraft is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
