By Rob Leane

Published: Wednesday, 20 October 2021 at 12:00 am


Is the Warden in Minecraft yet? That’s been the question on every fan’s mind, ever since this hostile new mob was announced for Mojang’s immensely popular building/surviving game.

Right now, the Warden is not yet in Minecraft and neither is the Deep Dark (the scary subterranean setting where the Warden will spawn), but the hype is really starting to build. Fans have questions, loads of them, and we’re going to try and answer some today.

So, if you’ve got the Warden on your mind, keep on reading while we summarise the important facts about Minecraft’s new mob.

Minecraft Warden release date

Has the Warden been released yet, you ask? The answer to that question is no. In fact, the Warden’s arrival in Minecraft was recently delayed, pushed back even further into the future.

Although this new mob was originally expected to appear in the Caves & Cliffs part two update (also known as Minecraft version 1.18), Mojang announced at Minecraft Live 2021 that the Warden will not spawn in Minecraft until The Wild Update (1.19) arrives in our lives.

And so, based on the latest information that Minecraft has given us about The Wild Update, we know that the Warden release date in Minecraft will occur at some point in 2022. As soon as a more precise date is confirmed, we’ll be sure to let you know.

What is the Warden in Minecraft?

The Warden, when it arrives in Minecraft, will be a hostile mob that lives underground in the Deep Dark, surrounded by sinister Sculk blocks. It has a visible heartbeat that will vary in intensity depending on how many hits it has taken, which is pretty creepy as a concept.

One tricky thing about the Warden is that it’s stronger than poison and wither, in some respects. Even if you manage to attack a Warden with one of these status effects, it will still keep coming for you. Thankfully, if your stamina is good enough, you should be able to outrun the Warden.

What do Minecraft Wardens do? 

Unlike all of the previous mobs in the game, the Warden is blind – instead of stalking you using eyesight, it will use a skill akin to echolocation to sense vibrations and follow sounds as it tries to hunt you down.

Here are a few fun facts for you: the Warden will have a visible heartbeat, and you will be able to trick the Warden with sounds (e.g. you could fire arrows and throw snowballs away from yourself to distract it with the sound).

Leaning into the scary side of Minecraft, it looks like Wardens spend their time hiding out in the Deep Dark, where the low levels of lighting make it easy to get the drop on unsuspecting players. Once a Warden works out where you are, it will try to kill you.

Want to take a look for yourself? The first footage of the Warden mob was shared at Minecraft Live 2020, and it still makes for scary viewing: