Minecraft Live 2026 Reveals The Sift, First New Dimension in 15 Years, Plus Ice Caves and Dungeons 2

Mojang Studios held Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026, and announced a slate of updates spanning the core game, Minecraft Dungeons 2, and real-world attractions. The centerpiece was The Sift, a new dimension arriving in Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027, the first dimensional addition to the game in nearly 15 years.

The Sift marks only the fourth dimension ever introduced to Minecraft, joining the Overworld, the Nether, and the End. The last new dimension, the End, arrived in 2011 when Minecraft reached version 1.0. Mojang describes The Sift as a colorful place full of souls with its own areas, mobs, and gameplay systems. Two confirmed areas within the dimension are The Meadow and The Carapace. Players will access The Sift through rifts in Minecraft Dungeons 2; Mojang has not yet specified how entry will work in the main game.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 launches on September 29, 2026, across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Game Pass. The game was developed by Mojang Studios with Double Eleven. Design Director Laura de Llorens, Art Director Ullis Linder, and Game Director Måns Olson presented the sequel at the event. The new title replaces the first game's separate mission structure with an interconnected world and introduces jump mechanics. In Dungeons 2's story, rifts appear across the world as the ecosystem falls out of balance and hostile illagers form an Illager High Council. The game supports up to four players in co-op. Pre-order bonuses, available until September 28, include the Twisted Cape, a Twisted Chicken pet, and two hero skins.

The showcase also revealed ice caves as the next game drop for Minecraft. These underground biomes will generate beneath cold surface areas and are intentionally rare. Ice caves contain ice, calcite, icicles hanging from ceilings, and light-emitting ice crystals on the ground. Players can place ice crystals vertically or horizontally. The biome introduces a frozen zombie variant without an official name. Frozen zombies deal damage and apply a stacking freezing effect with melee attacks. Some throw ice balls, and regular zombies exposed to powder snow convert into frozen variants. Players can drop ice balls from frozen zombies or craft them, and they can be brewed into a new Freezing Potion.

Minecraft will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on October 27, 2026. Mojang stated this version will run and look better than the original Switch release. The company also announced incoming Sound Effects Packs for the Minecraft Marketplace, arriving later in 2026.

Beyond the core game, Minecraft World, a theme park attraction opening in 2027 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London, will feature two major attractions developed with Merlin Entertainments. Escape the Nether will be the world's first Minecraft rollercoaster, with both indoor and outdoor sections. The Minecraft World Hotel will offer Minecraft-themed accommodations, including a deep-sea diner and themed rooms.

Mojang also announced expanded tools for creators to build and share content within the Minecraft ecosystem, positioning the company to strengthen its presence in user-generated content. Chief Creative Officer Jens Bergenström described plans for a creator platform offering better tools and systems for content creation.

Minecraft Education reached its 10-year milestone. Mojang redesigned its official feedback site, allowing players to submit ideas for The Sift and future updates directly to the development team.