Deepslate was added in the Caves & Cliffs Update (1.18) to redefine the deep underground. It generates between y=−64 and y=0 in solid layers, fully replacing stone below the new sea-level threshold. The texture is a moody dark grey with vertical striations, and the block has its own footstep, mining, and break sounds — a deeper, richer audio profile that signals to players they have descended into the new lower world.

A stone pickaxe is the minimum required tool. Mining without Silk Touch drops cobbled deepslate, the deep-cave equivalent of cobblestone; mining with Silk Touch returns the original block. Deepslate is significantly tougher than stone, taking nearly twice as long to break with the same pickaxe — a tradeoff for the substantially deeper and more diamond-rich layers it occupies. Players who prefer the smooth-edged look use deepslate as direct alternative to stone in dark dungeons, gothic chapels, and underground cathedrals.