This causes Vanilla to not run the server view distance check, and returns the client distance even if the server distance is smaller which is unintended behavior as of 1.18.

Is this as simple as calling GameOptions#getViewDistance here instead of reading the field directly?

Should be.

Would it be possible to have an option to switch between "chunks outside the server render distance should remain loaded until they are also outside the client render distance" (something like pre-1.18 behavior) and "the client render distance is capped by the server one" (1.18)?

Seems like that should work (tested locally and everything seemed fine), @HybridEidolon don't forget to change the usage here as well!

Can I work on that issue, if its not done yet?

#1050

Looks like it wasn't linked but now that #1050 was merged this should be able to be closed