Badlands

The badlands or mesa are arid-land mountainous biomes, featuring red sand and mounds of terracotta bands, coming in various colors. Badlands generate in arid lands next to deserts and their eroded and wooded variants.

Generation

Badlands biomes generate at the highest temperature and lower erosion, meaning they border deserts near oceans with stony shores at lower altitudes. Badlands biomes often border their wooded and eroded variants. Near lower temperature zones, they border savannas, forests, and plains.

Badlands generate from mid-altitude plateaus and valleys up to the highest mountain peaks where they can elevate up to Y=256 and border stony peaks. Rivers are often in deep fjords, wide valleys with almost no water, or they do not generate at all.

Because badlands generate in mountainous terrain, they often border dripstone caves and deep dark underground.

Description

On the higher grounds, badlands biomes feature large mounds of terracotta bands, in layers of various colors; specifically, red, orange, yellow, white, light gray, brown, and regular terracotta may all naturally generate. The topmost layer of stained terracotta is often weathered into regular terracotta.

At low altitudes, the terrain surface is weathered into one layer of red sand (rarely red sandstone if floating),‌^{[JE only]} with orange terracotta under it extending to Y=63. In Java Edition, the underwater surface is covered with a layer of orange terracotta, and in shallow water, sometimes interspersed with some white terracotta, while in Bedrock Edition, it is composed entirely of stone. Deeper water bodies generate gravel like in any other biome.

Cacti and dead bushes generate frequently across the landscape, similarly to deserts, but dead bushes are more common than in deserts, and cacti are rarer, as they may only generate on the red sand valleys. Sugar canes may generate along water. Cacti have a chance of generating a cactus flower on top.

Mineshafts generate at much higher elevations in these biomes, often exposed to fresh air. Their supporting planks and fences are made of dark oak rather than oak. Additionally, extra gold ore generates up to elevation Y=255 (rather than the normal Y=32), and at much higher rates than the rest of the world. However, if an underground biome generates under badlands for example a Dripstone cave, then there wouldn't be extra gold ores in the area of the cave biome.

As badlands are arid-land biomes, rainfall never occurs here, but dry thunderstorms still allow hostile mobs to spawn.

Armadillos spawn in badlands, as well as warm animal variants, but the latter can only spawn on player-created grass blocks.

With Vibrant Visuals, badlands have unique atmospherics, the sky is tinted turquoise-green at daytime and much brighter during the night, while the daytime horizon is tinted brown. Moonlight is more vibrant blue, and the warm color grading tints the environment more yellow, although color saturation is slightly lower.

The colors of specific terracotta layers in these biomes are almost the same throughout all badlands biomes for any particular world. Each world seed generates 192 layers of terracotta for each Y-coordinate to pick from^[1]. At each horizontal coordinate, each layer may shift up and down by at most ±7 blocks based on noise.

Mobs

The following mobs naturally spawn here:

In **Java Edition**
Mob	Spawn weight	Group size
Monster category
Creeper	¹⁰⁰⁄₅₁₅	4
Skeleton	¹⁰⁰⁄₅₁₅	4
Slime^{[note 1]}	¹⁰⁰⁄₅₁₅	4
Spider	¹⁰⁰⁄₅₁₅	4
Zombie	⁹⁵⁄₅₁₅	4
Enderman	¹⁰⁄₅₁₅	1–4
Witch	⁵⁄₅₁₅	1
Zombie Villager	⁵⁄₅₁₅	1
Creature category
Sheep	¹²⁄₄₆	4
Warm Pig	¹⁰⁄₄₆	4
Warm Chicken	¹⁰⁄₄₆	4
Warm Cow	⁸⁄₄₆	4
Armadillo	⁶⁄₄₆	1–2
Underground water creature category
Glow Squid	1	4–6
Ambient category
Bat	1	8

↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.

In **Bedrock Edition**
Mob	Spawn weight	Group size
Monster category
Creeper	100	1
Slime^{[note 1]}	100	1
Spider	100	1
Zombie	95	2–4
Skeleton	80	1–2
Enderman	10	1–2
Witch	5	1
Zombie Villager	5	2–4
Creature category
Sheep	12	2–3
Warm Chicken	10	2–4
Warm Pig	10	1–3
Warm Cow	8	2–3
Armadillo	6	1–2
Glow Squid	10	2–4

↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.

Sounds

Music

These music tracks play while the player is in the badlands:

Title	Preview	Java Edition		Bedrock Edition
Title	Preview	Weight	Probability	Weight	Probability
Memories		2	13.33%	2	13.33%
Crescent Dunes		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Danny		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Dry Hands		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Echo in the Wind		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Featherfall		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Haggstrom		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Key		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Living Mice		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Mice on Venus		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
One More Day		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Oxygène		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Subwoofer Lullaby		1	6.67%	1	6.67%
Wet Hands		1	6.67%	1	6.67%

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Translation key
Badlands	`badlands`	`biome.minecraft.badlands`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID
[No displayed name]	`mesa`	`37`

Achievements


Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other	Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
		Adventuring Time	Discover 17 biomes.	Visit any 17 biomes. Does not have to be in a single world.	40	Silver

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Adventuring Time	Discover every biome	Visit all of these 55^{[until: Third Drop 2026]}/56^[upcoming] biomes: Badlands Bamboo Jungle Beach Birch Forest Cherry Grove Cold Ocean Dappled Forest Dark Forest Deep Cold Ocean Deep Dark Deep Frozen Ocean Deep Lukewarm Ocean Deep Ocean Desert Dripstone Caves Eroded Badlands Flower Forest Forest Frozen Ocean Frozen Peaks Frozen River Grove Ice Spikes Jagged Peaks Jungle Lukewarm Ocean Lush Caves Mangrove Swamp Meadow Mushroom Fields Ocean Old Growth Birch Forest Old Growth Pine Taiga Old Growth Spruce Taiga Pale Garden Plains River Savanna Savanna Plateau Snowy Beach Snowy Plains Snowy Slopes Snowy Taiga Sparse Jungle Stony Peaks Stony Shore Sunflower Plains Sulfur Caves Swamp Taiga Warm Ocean Windswept Forest Windswept Gravelly Hills Windswept Hills Windswept Savanna Wooded Badlands The advancement is only for Overworld biomes. Other biomes may also be visited, but are ignored for this advancement.

History

Java Edition

Java Edition
August 2, 2013		Jeb tweeted the first image of the mesa biome. He jokingly referred to them as "disco mountains".
1.7.2	13w36a	Mesa biome added, along with its variants, many other biomes, and the temperature system.
	13w36a	Each 48-bit world seed generated 64 layers of terracotta that repeated every 64 blocks on the Y-axis, for use in generating terracotta layers in mesa biomes.
	13w36b	Fixed the mesa generation.^[2]
	13w37a	Slightly changed mesa biome generation to appear more layered.
	13w39a	Red sand now generates in mesa biomes and their variants.
1.8	14w32a	Red sandstone now generates in cave entrances instead of floating red sand.
1.10	16w20a	Mineshafts can now generate on the surface in mesa biomes, using dark oak planks and fences rather than oak.
		In mesa biomes, hardened clay no longer generates more than 15 blocks deep, if the mesa is more than 15 blocks above sea level.
		The normal 2 blobs of gold ore below Y=32 in mesas now attempt to generate 20 blobs at elevations between 32 and 79.
		Mesas can now generate dark oak mineshafts above ground.
		Red sandstone no longer generates in cave entrances.
1.13	18w19a	Renamed "Mesa" to "Badlands".
1.16.2	1.16.2 Pre-release 2	Plateaus generate more frequently at the edges of badlands.
1.18	Experimental Snapshot 1	World seeds now generate 192 layers of terracotta per world seed, instead of 64 layers of terracotta, for use in generating terracotta in badlands biomes.
	experimental snapshot 3	Badlands sometimes show up in flat areas next to plateaus.
	experimental snapshot 3	Increased the maximum Y-level for red sand to generate.
	experimental snapshot 4	Badlands biomes are now larger and less likely to show up as "microbiomes."
	experimental snapshot 5	Badlands biomes are slightly smaller on average.
		Badlands can now generate on sharp peaks.
		Water lakes no longer generate in badlands.
	21w42a	The extra gold ore in badlands biomes now generates up to Y=255.
1.20	23w17a	"Crescent Dunes", and "Echo in the Wind" can now be played in all types of badlands biomes.
1.20.5	24w03a	Armadillos now spawn in badlands.
1.20.5	24w11a	Wolves summoned in badlands using spawn eggs or commands, or by them simply spawning there due to a pack spawning along a biome boundary are now the striped variant instead of the pale variant.
1.21.5	25w02a	Farm animals can now spawn in badlands.
	25w02a	Pigs that spawn in badlands are now the warm variant.
	25w05a	Cows that spawn in badlands are now the warm variant.
	25w06a	Chickens that spawn in badlands are now the warm variant.
	25w06a	Short dry grass, tall dry grass and cactus flowers now generate in badlands.
	25w09a	The Firefly Bush can now generate near water in all types of badlands (very rarely), like other biomes with water.

Bedrock Edition

Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.9.0	build 1	Mesa biomes added, along with many other biomes.
v0.10.0	build 1	Mesa biomes now have gold ore at every elevation.
v0.10.0	build 1	Mesas can now generate mineshafts on the surface.
v0.15.0	build 1	Hardened clay no longer generates more than 15 blocks deep, if the mesa is more than 15 blocks above sea level.
Bedrock Edition
1.18.0	beta 1.18.0.22	The extra gold ore in badlands biomes now generates up to Y=255.
1.18.0	?	Overhauled the generation of badlands. They now generate as standalone biome with variable terrain.
1.20.70 Experiment Armadillo and Wolf Armor	Preview 1.20.70.20	Armadillos now spawn in badlands and their variants.
1.21.60	Preview 1.21.60.23	Dead bushes now generate more frequently.
1.21.60 Experiment Drop 1 2025	Preview 1.21.60.25	Pigs that spawn in badlands are now the warm variant.
1.21.70 Experiment Drop 1 2025	Preview 1.21.70.20	Cows that spawn in badlands are now the warm variant.
	Preview 1.21.70.22	Chickens that spawn in badlands are now the warm variant.
	Preview 1.21.70.22	Short dry grass, tall dry grass and cactus flowers now generate in badlands.
1.21.90	Preview 1.21.90.26	Added mesa atmospherics and color grading, and warmish lighting to badlands with Vibrant Visuals.

Legacy Console Edition

Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU31	CU19	1.22	1.22	1.22	Patch 3	1.0.1	Added mesa biomes, along with many other biomes.
TU43	CU33	1.36	1.36	1.36	Patch 13	1.0.1	Mineshafts can now generate on the surface in mesa biomes, using dark oak planks and fences rather than oak.

New Nintendo 3DS Edition

New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added mesa biomes.

Data history

Java Edition
1.13			pre5				Changed the ID `mesa` to `badlands`.
1.18			21w37a				Prior to the removal of numerical biome IDs, this biome's numerical ID was 37.

Old generation

Before Caves & Cliffs, the badlands biome generated only as an edge around all wooded badlands plateaus and badlands plateaus, or as small spots within those biomes. It had mostly flat terrain at the red sand levels, occasionally topped with terracotta layers, but when next to the plateau biomes, steep eroded cliffs formed. Beaches did not generate next to oceans, and the biome was separated from other land biomes by a thin desert border. It was often replaced by eroded badlands as a mutation.

Issues

Issues relating to "Badlands" or "Mesa" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

Regular oak mineshafts do not generate in the badlands biomes, but they can generate into one if a neighboring biome generates the mineshaft.
Although dark oak mineshafts generate in badlands, dark oaks do not grow in this biome.
If a badlands biome generates above y level 256, it generates orange terracotta as the default rather than undyed terracotta. This cannot be seen through normal gameplay as the game cuts off any terrain above y level 256, however it can be seen on Java Edition using an amplified world.

Gallery

Screenshots

Ground-view of a badlands biome
Badlands with a lake
A badlands cave
Jungle and badlands biome generated next to each other
A badlands mineshaft exposed on the surface
A ruined portal in badlands
A player riding a horse into an overpass, with several monsters nearby
A large mountain in badlands
Side view of a large badlands mountain
A badlands single biome world

Historical screenshots

A very small old badlands clearing
Older badlands bordering an ocean, with no beaches
Transition layers between temperate biomes and badlands plateaus
A relatively large badlands clearing with a river
A badlands single biome world before 1.18
A village in the desert border surrounding badlands
A pillager outpost next to a badlands biome
An exposed cave spider spawner on a badlands cliff
Badlands with ray tracing

Development images

The first image of the mesa
Caves cutting through hardened clay in the mesa
An extremely tiny badlands biome
A river cave entrance in a badlands biome
A lake in badlands with Vibrant Visuals

In other media

Official logo of the Badlands biome used during the promotion of the Biome Vote 2019
Noor looking out over a badland with several wolves
Artwork of a creeper roaming in a badlands
Artwork of a cave spider lurking in a badlands mineshaft
Pixel art of Sunny, Steve and Ari building a nether portal in a badlands
Crown Mesa, a badlands settlement from Minecraft: Story Mode
A render of a badlands from Minecraft Earth
Narrator and MARILLA confronting Jonathan Minecraft in a badland, a scene from Around the Minecraft World in 80 Biomes
Durango and River in a badlands
The badlands as seen in Minecraft Legends.

References

↑ layers[(noiseValue + Y + 192) % 192]
↑ MC-29446

External links

"Around the Block: Badlands" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, July 8, 2021.

[Slime-2] Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.

[Slime-3] Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.

[1] yers[(noiseValue + Y + 192) % 192]

[4] MC-29446