Minecraft Live 2026: Ice Caves, Frozen Zombie and The Sift Dimension

Ice caves, a frozen zombie, and a new dimension: Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026 revealed the game’s next adventures. Ice Caves will arrive in an update planned for late 2026. The Sift will come to Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027, following its arrival in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launched on September 29.

Ice Caves: Where Placing a Torch Becomes Risky

After the landscapes of Minecraft 26.3 Wilderness Bound, the next update takes us underground. Ice Caves combine ice, calcite, and pockets of stone or deepslate containing ores. Some caves also hold lava amid the frozen scenery.

Ice crystals grow naturally on the floor and illuminate the caves with a soft glow. You can place them in your builds to light an underground passage or decorate an ice fortress.

Overhead, icicles can fall when exposed to too much light. Before placing a torch, it will be worth looking up. Players can also place these icy formations on the ground to decorate their buildings.

A Frozen Zombie with a Ranged Attack

A new zombie variant covered in ice and snow charges at players in these caves. Its attacks deal damage and apply a freezing effect: your movements slow down, and the cold then causes additional damage. Escaping becomes harder when another monster joins the fight.

Some of these zombies carry an ice ball and can attack at range. The projectile’s damage depends on its speed, making close-range attacks particularly dangerous.

Equipped zombies may leave behind their ice ball when defeated. You can use it to make freezing potions, which slow opponents and deal damage.

The Sift: A Fourth Dimension Alongside the Overworld, Nether, and End

The Sift will arrive in Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027. Mojang describes it as the game’s first new dimension in more than fourteen years. The footage reveals a bright, colorful world filled with souls.

To explore it now, you can play Minecraft Dungeons II, the action-adventure game released on September 29, 2026.

In Dungeons II, rifts open in the Overworld and lead to The Sift. The developers showed The Meadows, a lush region, and The Carapace, a desert biome with enormous bone structures.

The broadcast also announced Minecraft for Nintendo Switch 2 on October 27, 2026, sound effects packs for the Marketplace before the end of the year, and Minecraft World at Chessington, near London, in 2027, featuring the Escape the Nether ride.

Prepare Your Server for the New Adventures

• Leave regions to generate after the update. A pre-generated area already exists, even if no player has visited it. If you use Chunky, wait for the version containing the new features before generating the regions where you want to discover them.
• Try experimental versions in a separate world. Back up your data before installing a Java snapshot or Bedrock Preview.
• Check your plugins and mods before updating your main world. Wait for a stable release compatible with your server’s tools.

To start your next world with friends, explore our plans to create your Minecraft server on BoxToPlay.