Minecraft Live September 2026 delivered two particularly big exploration reveals: Ice Caves are coming as a new underground biome, while the Sift will become Minecraft’s fourth dimension in 2027. Before that happens, players will get their first proper trip into the Sift in Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29.
Mojang used the latest Minecraft Live to push one of its current priorities particularly hard: making exploration feel surprising again.
That means going deeper underground first, then considerably farther than the Overworld.
Ice Caves are coming underground
The next Minecraft game drop will introduce Ice Caves, a new underground biome joining environments such as lush, dripstone, and sulfur caves.
These frozen caverns mix ice and calcite with two new environmental blocks. Icicles form naturally along cave ceilings, while ice crystals grow from the ground and give off a soft light.
The result is not just another source of blue building blocks. Ice Caves are meant to feel more dangerous than the average mining trip.
A new frozen zombie variant lives there, and getting hit by one can apply a freezing effect. Some variants can also throw ice balls from range, turning what would normally be another straightforward zombie encounter into something that can slow you down while the cave itself limits your movement.
Mojang has not yet given the game drop an exact release date, but the biome was presented as part of Minecraft’s next major adventure-focused update.
Minecraft Dungeons II
Release Date: September 29, 2026
Genres: Adventure, Arcade
The Sift is Minecraft’s first new dimension in over 14 years
The much bigger surprise came later in the show.
The Sift is officially coming to Minecraft: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition in 2027. It will join the Overworld, Nether, and End, making it Minecraft’s fourth dimension and the first entirely new one added in more than 14 years.
Mojang only showed a glimpse of the vanilla version, including one of the creatures living there, so important details remain unanswered. We do not yet know exactly how players will reach the Sift in regular Minecraft, what its full biome lineup looks like, or where it will sit in normal survival progression.
What we do know is that players will not have to wait until 2027 to explore it.
Minecraft Dungeons II is introducing the Sift first
The Sift makes its playable debut in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launches on September 29.
That makes the dungeon crawler an unusually important preview of where Minecraft itself is heading.
In Dungeons II, mysterious rifts appear throughout its newly interconnected world. Entering one can transport heroes into the Sift, a colorful, soul-filled dimension containing distinct areas such as the Meadow and Carapace.
The sequel also uses the Sift as part of its larger story, with players facing new threats across both dimensions as the Illager High Council pushes its plans forward.
If you want the full breakdown of the sequel before launch, including its connected world, expanded gear system, quests, co-op, editions, and how the Sift fits into the adventure, read our Minecraft Dungeons II guide.
Minecraft Live had a few more reveals too
The show was not limited to ice and new dimensions. Mojang also discussed new creator tools designed to make custom Minecraft content easier to build, revealed upcoming Sound Effects Packs for the Minecraft Marketplace, and confirmed that the native Nintendo Switch 2 version of Minecraft launches on October 27.
Still, the Sift was easily the announcement with the biggest long-term implications.
The Nether and End have shaped Minecraft exploration and progression for well over a decade. Adding a fourth dimension creates space for new mobs, blocks, resources, biomes, building materials, and potentially entirely new reasons to keep exploring a survival world.
For now, Mojang is keeping much of that mysterious.
But Minecraft Dungeons II is about to give us the first look inside.