Minecraft’s new Sift dimension is in Dungeons II now, and due on Java and Bedrock in 2027

# Minecraft’s new Sift dimension is in Dungeons II now, and due on Java and Bedrock in 2027

Mojang used Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026, to announce The Sift, the first new Minecraft dimension in more than 14 years. It is already playable in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launched two days later, and it is scheduled to arrive in Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027. The current Java testing work for the new ice caves, a separate update, is in version 26.4; Snapshot 8 of that drop came out on November 10, 2026.

## The Sift is the first new dimension in more than 14 years

In the official recap of the September 26 broadcast, Mojang writer Sofia Dankis said Minecraft Live “revealed that the newest Minecraft dimension isn’t just finding its home in Dungeons II, it’ll also be coming to Minecraft Java & Bedrock Edition next year.” The post called The Sift “the first new dimension in over 14 years,” joining the Overworld, the Nether, and the End.

The same recap described The Sift as it appears in Dungeons II: a “beautiful, vibrant” space “teeming with souls,” with areas including the Meadow and the Carapace. In Dungeons II, rifts in an interconnected world can transport players into The Sift. During the live show, Mojang also showed a glimpse of the dimension in Minecraft itself, “and even one of the mobs that calls it home,” without naming that mob in the recap.

“Next year,” in a September 2026 announcement, means 2027 for Java and Bedrock. Mojang has not published a more specific date in that recap.

## Dungeons II launched on September 29

The Minecraft Live recap, posted on September 26, said Minecraft Dungeons II was “out in just two days” and “coming September 29, 2026.” That is Mojang’s official launch date for the sequel, which is where players can already go into The Sift.

Design director Laura de Llorens, in the recap’s account of the show, described a Dungeons world out of balance, with an Illager High Council and a new, interconnected map rather than the first game’s more level-based missions. The Sift is part of that sequel, not a Java or Bedrock feature that is already in the main game.

## Snapshot 26.4 is testing the ice caves, not The Sift

Separately, Mojang is testing a new underground ice caves biome in the current Java drop. The September Live recap previewed that work: ice caves with calcite, icicles, ice crystals that emit a soft light, and a then-unnamed frozen zombie variant that can apply a freezing effect and, in some cases, throw ice balls.

On November 10, 2026, the Java team released Minecraft 26.4 Snapshot 8. The snapshot notes focus on bug fixes and small tweaks rather than a new Sift preview. Among the changes: a fix for Ender Dragon flight issues, Javanese and Chavacano language support, Snow Layers and Snow Blocks placed next to the Snow Brick set in the Creative inventory, undead mobs made immune to the Freezing effect, reduced Ice Ball damage, and a change so the Cold Sulfur Cube archetype no longer floats.

The snapshot is useful context for where the ice caves work stands. It should not be read as a Sift release. The Sift is in Dungeons II today and is still dated to 2027 for Java and Bedrock.

## FAQ

**Can I visit The Sift in regular Minecraft right now?** Not in Java or Bedrock. Mojang says that version is coming in 2027. It is already playable in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launched on September 29, 2026.

**Is Snapshot 26.4 The Sift?** No. 26.4 is the current Java testing drop for the new ice caves and related fixes. Snapshot 8, released November 10, 2026, does not add The Sift.

**When was The Sift announced?** At Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026, in Mojang’s official recap.

## Image credits

- Main thumbnail: The Sift dimension in Minecraft Dungeons II, from Mojang's Minecraft Live recap. Image: Mojang Studios / Minecraft.net. Source: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/mclive_sept2026_recap (file: https://www.minecraft.net/content/dam/minecraftnet/games/spicewood/screenshots/MCL_Dungeons2_sift_1280x720.jpg). Basis: Official screenshot from Mojang's Minecraft Live September 2026 recap. - Medium thumbnail: Official Minecraft Live fall 2026 key art. Image: Mojang Studios / Minecraft.net. Source: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/mclive_sept2026_recap (file: https://www.minecraft.net/content/dam/minecraftnet/games/minecraft/key-art/MCL_FALL26_.Net_1170x500.jpg). Basis: Official key art from Mojang's Minecraft Live September 2026 recap. - Small thumbnail: Official Minecraft Dungeons II artwork of a caped hero mid-leap. Image: Mojang Studios / Minecraft.net. Source: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/about-dungeons-ii (file: https://www.minecraft.net/content/dam/minecraftnet/games/spicewood/key-art/Dungeons-II_Media-Block-B_Hero-Cape_888x500.png). Basis: Official artwork from Mojang's About Dungeons II page. - Article image 1: Official hero image from Mojang's Minecraft 26.4 Snapshot 8 post. Image: Mojang Studios / Minecraft.net. Source: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-26-4-snapshot-8 (file: https://www.minecraft.net/content/dam/minecraftnet/article-asset/2026/minecraft-26-4-snapshot-8/new-article-hero-image.jpg). Basis: Official hero image from Mojang's Minecraft 26.4 Snapshot 8 notes. - Article image 2: An ice cave from Minecraft's upcoming winter drop, shown at Minecraft Live. Image: Mojang Studios / Minecraft.net. Source: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/mclive_sept2026_recap (file: https://www.minecraft.net/content/dam/minecraftnet/games/minecraft/screenshots/MCL_FALL_26_winterdrop_1280x720.jpg). Basis: Official screenshot from Mojang's Minecraft Live September 2026 recap. - Article image 3: Official Minecraft Dungeons II key art of heroes with the game logo. Image: Mojang Studios / Minecraft.net. Source: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/about-dungeons-ii (file: https://www.minecraft.net/content/dam/minecraftnet/games/spicewood/key-art/MCD2_YoutubeThumbnail_1920x1080.png). Basis: Official artwork from Mojang's About Dungeons II page.