Minecraft LIVE September 2026 — The Sift, Ice Balls, and Much More
Minecraft LIVE September 2026 featured a number of big announcements for the game, which we've rounded up below.The headline announcement was confirmation that the Sift is coming to Minecraft Java and Bedrock E...
Minecraft LIVE September 2026 featured a number of big announcements for the game, which we've rounded up below.
The headline announcement was confirmation that the Sift is coming to Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027. It's the first new dimension for Minecraft in 14 years. Elsewhere, Mojang confirmed that Ice Caves are the next game drop, and Sound Effects Packs for Minecraft Marketplace are coming later this year. We also got an update on Minecraft World, which is getting a hotel and a rollercoaster.
Alas, there was no announcement of an End update, as some fans had speculated might have been on the way. I guess those Enderman teases in the Minecraft LIVE trailer weren't teases after all!
All this and more is detailed in the report below. Check that out, then head to the comments to let us know what you think!
And that's a wrap!
Minecraft LIVE is over, and we have a clearer idea of what's coming to Minecraft for the rest of this year and even 2027. Let us know what you thought of all the announcements in the comments!
The Sift is coming to Java and Bedrock Edition!
Minecraft LIVE's big final announcement is that the Sift is coming to Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027. The Sift is Minecraft's first new dimension in over 14 years, and joins the Overworld, The Nether, and The End as Minecraft’s official fourth dimension.
Today at Minecraft LIVE: Dungeons II, our first new dimension in more than 14 years, new ways for creators to build, Minecraft on Nintendo Switch 2, and more.
More than 300,000 people play Minecraft for the first time on an average day. After 17+ years and 425M+ copies sold, I… pic.twitter.com/fdhkwuh258
— ASHA (@asha_shar) September 26, 2026
Ice Caves are the next Minecraft game drop
Ice Caves are coming to Minecraft, adding a new and rare underground extension of cold biomes with glowing ice crystals and environmental variety. Ice Caves include a new hostile mob, the frozen zombie, which can apply freezing effects and throw damaging ice balls. The ice balls can also be used as weapons or to craft potions, adding strategic options for combat scenarios.
Mojang said Ice Caves add a whole new layer of variety to cold biomes, making exploring underground even more interesting, thanks to the increased environmental diversity. “Though they may be beautiful, these caves are far from safe,” the developer said.
Ice crystals can be found in ice caves and can be placed both vertically and horizontally, providing lots of potential for decoration and building. They can even be used as a light source. The Frozen Zombie, meanwhile, applies a stacking freezing effect with its melee attacks. If you take enough hits, you'll freeze. It also throws ice balls at you, which apply knockback and deal damage. Normal zombies can convert into Frozen when exposed to powder snow. Players can already convert Husks into Zombies, and now Zombies into Frozen, opening the door for advanced mob farms.
Frozen drop ice balls on death, allowing players to use them as well, but they can also be crafted and used to brew a new potion. As a weapon, ice balls deal damage and apply knockback, and as a potion it can freeze players.
Sound Effects Packs for Minecraft Marketplace coming later this year
Later this year Mojang will introduce Sound Effects Packs for Minecraft Marketplace, giving players new ways to customize their experience.
Minecraft World update
Minecraft World got two announcements at Minecraft LIVE today: the world’s first official Minecraft hotel, and the name of the first ever Minecraft rollercoaster.
Minecraft World Hotel and the Escape the Nether rollercoaster are confirmed for the Minecraft experience at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, and are set to open their doors at some point next year, Merlin Entertainments and Mojang Studios announced.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 deep dive
Mojang showed off more of Minecraft Dungeons 2, as expected. Expect plenty of loot, mobs, and a new dimension. Story wise, you have to help the villages find a new home in the town of Bravehaven. When you start to explore outside the town you realize there's a soul corruption happening in the overworld.
The world is interconnected this time, so it's more open for you to take your own route with a freedom to explore. You get to know the Villagers better in this game, helping them out as a player. And you can jump! There are small parkour sections to find secrets and even jump attacks.
The big hook here is the Sift, a brand new dimension in Minecraft Dungeons 2. It's an environment rich with souls. Expect DLC post-launch, too. Minecraft Dungeons 2 launches this Tuesday, September 29.
— Minecraft (@Minecraft) September 26, 2026
New Minecraft platform initiative
Minecraft LIVE began with Jens Bergenström, Chief Creative Officer at Mojang Studios, ruling out an End update. Bah! He did, however, announce a new creator platform designed to get more people creating experiences within Minecraft. It's all pretty vague, but it sounds like Mojang is thinking about taking on Roblox by making it easier to build experiences within Minecraft. We'll hopefully have more on how this all works soon.
30 minutes to go!
This is your official 30 minute warning for Minecraft LIVE! Not long now until we find out what Mojang has up its sleeve. Check back here for live updates, and let us know what you're hoping to see in the comments!
Wesley Yin-Poole
Director, News
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].