Minecraft Live 2026 Recap: The Sift Dimension Revealed, Dungeons II Release Date, and Everything Else Announced

Mojang used its September 26, 2026 Minecraft Live broadcast to reveal The Sift, a brand new dimension joining the Overworld, the Nether, and the End for the first time since 2011. The show also locked in the release date for Minecraft Dungeons II, teased an upcoming Ice Caves biome, and touched on everything from a Nintendo Switch 2 launch to a real world Minecraft theme park.

The Sift: Minecraft’s First New Dimension in Over a Decade

The Sift is described by Mojang as the first new dimension since the End arrived in 2011, and it will debut inside Minecraft Dungeons II before coming to the base game’s Java and Bedrock Editions in 2027. Two areas have been named so far, the Meadow and the Carapace, and both point to a stranger, more alien look than anything the Overworld or Nether have offered before.

The story behind the Sift ties directly into Minecraft Dungeons II. Strange rifts have been opening across the Overworld, spreading corrupted mobs and sculk in their wake, and the culprits turn out to be three illager leaders known together as the Illager High Council. Their opening move is a giant, soul corrupted creeper unleashed during a cinematic tied to the Tokyo Game Show, a clear sign that Mojang intends the Sift’s arrival to feel like an actual invasion rather than a quiet content drop.

Four heroes explore the Sift, Minecraft Dungeons II’s new dimension

Minecraft Dungeons II Launches September 29

Minecraft Dungeons II arrives September 29, 2026, and it’s a bigger structural departure from the original than the numbering suggests. Instead of picking missions off an overmap, players explore one large interconnected world, and combat gets a new jump mechanic that wasn’t part of the first game. Mojang writer Per Landin summed up the pitch for the sequel as, “Drop the pickaxe and grab a sword, everyone! We’re charging into a thrilling new adventure.”

Pre-ordering any edition unlocks the Exfil Dom style Twisted cape and Twisted chicken pet bonuses through September 28, and the game supports both online and couch co-op for up to four players, so the interconnected Sift levels shown at the event are clearly built with groups in mind.

Ice Caves, a New Frozen Zombie, and Everything Else From the Show

Beyond the Sift and Dungeons II, Mojang confirmed a future Ice Caves game drop for the base game. The underground biome adds ceiling grown icicles and glowing ice crystals that double as light sources, plus a new frozen zombie variant that can freeze players in melee and throw ice ball projectiles. According to GameSpot’s coverage of the event, this frozen zombie forms when a regular zombie is exposed to powdered snow, though Mojang’s own recap only confirmed the mob’s attacks and not how it comes to exist, so treat that detail as unconfirmed for now.

The rest of the broadcast covered smaller but still notable news:

• Minecraft launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on October 27, 2026
• A real world Minecraft World theme park is planned for Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London, targeting 2027 with a themed hotel and an Escape the Nether roller coaster
• New sound effect packs are coming to the Minecraft Marketplace, though no release date was given
• Minecraft Education celebrated its 10th anniversary alongside the show

Mojang was noticeably tight lipped on Sift specifics beyond the Meadow and Carapace areas, which tracks with how the studio handled the End back in 2011: reveal the concept first, then let players discover the rest once Minecraft Dungeons II and, eventually, the main game catch up. With a 2027 window for Java and Bedrock, expect the drip of new Sift details to continue for a while yet.

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Picture Source: Mojang