Minecraft’s Fourth Dimension, the Sift, Confirmed for Java and Bedrock in 2027

That makes it the biggest news from the show. It wasn't the only announcement, though. Windows Central's roundup also covered a Dungeons II deep dive, an Ice Caves biome with a new zombie variant, a Nintendo Switch 2 release date, theme park news, and new tools for creators on the Marketplace. Here's what was announced, what's confirmed, and what Mojang hasn't said yet.

The Sift: from spin-off to the main game​

The Sift was not unveiled on Saturday. It first appeared as part of Dungeons II. Microsoft's Xbox Wire post says the dimension was first announced at Gamescom and showcased in more detail at Minecraft LIVE today. Players can visit it in just a few days, when Minecraft Dungeons II launches on September 29.

The new part is that it's coming to the main game. According to Xbox Wire, Mojang Studios confirmed that the Sift will come to Minecraft in 2027, offering an entire new dimension for you to explore, survive, and create within.

Mojang's early descriptions suggest a different kind of place from the Nether or the End. Speaking to heise online, the developers describe the new dimension as a pretty place where you would want to live. The Nether and the End, on the other hand, are primarily designed as challenges. In Dungeons II, the Sift is under attack from Illagers. A developer told PCGamesN that it's "still a dangerous place for the player to be," Olson says, "but it's not evil."

The two teams apparently worked on it together. Dungeons II's de Llorens told PCGamesN that "The Minecraft team has been involved in our process all along," so that the Sift would fit the wider Minecraft universe.

Summary: The Sift arrives in Dungeons II on September 29. It comes to Java and Bedrock at some point in 2027. There is no month, version number or preview date yet.

Is it 14 years or 15?​

Different outlets give different numbers. Windows Central, Xbox Wire and Nintendo Everything all say "more than 14 years." Heise and Neowin say 15. Both are defensible. It depends on where you start counting.

• The Nether came first, back in 2010. Windows Central notes that it got a major overhaul in mid-2020. That update refreshed an existing dimension, so it doesn't count as a new one.
• The End is the most recent. As heise explains, the End was added to the game in November 2011 with version 1.0, when Mojang officially released "Minecraft" from beta.

November 2011 to now is a little under 15 years. A 2027 launch would push it past 15. So "over 14 years" and "almost 15" are both true, and they mean the same thing: a new dimension hasn't happened since the game left beta.

Mojang has shipped plenty in that time: caves, cliffs, the Deep Dark, trail ruins and many new mobs. But everything went into the existing three dimensions. A fourth one affects survival progression, world saves, servers and the mod ecosystem all at once.

What Mojang hasn't said yet​

Some coverage is filling in details Mojang hasn't confirmed, so it's worth being clear about the gaps. Heise states plainly that how the Sift will look in the main game and which mobs, blocks, or mechanics it will bring is not yet clear from Mojang's announcement.

Open questions for Java and Bedrock players:

• How players get there. Dungeons II uses its own entry mechanics. Nothing confirms those will carry over to the main game.
• Which mobs and blocks come across. Sportskeeda points out that it is unknown whether they will be directly ported when the dimension arrives in Java and Bedrock Editions later in 2027.
• How it ships. It's also unknown whether it will be released in a game drop or in a major update like Mojang used to push in 2024.
• Whether Java and Bedrock get it at the same time. Both editions are confirmed. Simultaneous release is not.

Mojang's own advice is to play Dungeons II if you want an early look. If you want a sneak peek at how the Sift will work, the best way to find out more is to play Dungeons II, which will give us a taste of mobs, blocks, and biomes. And make sure to tune in for future Minecraft LIVE events to learn more about the Sift, and when it will arrive. The line is partly marketing, but it's also a hint that the spin-off is working as a public test run for the dimension.

My take: Using a spin-off to introduce a dimension that later moves into the main game is a new approach for Mojang. It gives the team real player feedback on the design before committing it to both main editions, which matters a lot given how many platforms and servers Minecraft runs on. The risk is expectations. If the main-game Sift turns out very different from the Dungeons II version, some fans will feel misled. Assume the two versions will be related, not identical.

Minecraft Dungeons II arrives September 29​

The sequel gets its own spotlight before launch. Windows Central reports a bigger, interconnected world, expanded combat, deeper character customization and better multiplayer.

For Windows and Xbox players, the platform details are the important part. According to Xbox Wire, Minecraft Dungeons II launches September 29 for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and will be included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Also available on Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

So if you already pay for Game Pass, you can try the Sift in a few days at no extra cost, on your PC or your console.

Ice Caves and the Frozen Zombie​

The next update to the main game (Mojang calls these "game drops") is closer than the Sift. PCGamesN reports that the next Minecraft game drop will add another new biome, the Ice Caves, which features a frozen Zombie variant.

From Windows Central's rundown of the reveal:

• Ice Caves are a rare new underground extension of cold biomes, full of glowing ice crystals.
• Ice crystals can be placed vertically or horizontally, for building, decoration or light.
• Frozen Zombies hit with melee attacks that stack a freezing effect on the player, and throw ice balls that knock you back. Normal zombies turn into Frozen Zombies if they're exposed to powder snow.
• Ice balls drop when a Frozen Zombie dies. Players can also craft them and throw them as weapons, or brew them into a freezing potion.

No release date for this drop was given in the reports I found.

Nintendo Switch 2, theme park news and creator tools​

The rest of the show, as reported by Windows Central:

The theme park has been known for a while. Heise notes that the Minecraft World theme area is set to open in 2027 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Greater London, which Mojang and the amusement park operator Merlin Entertainments announced in March. Minecraft's 2027 will be busy beyond the game too. Heise adds that the movie sequel is set to hit theaters on July 23, 2027.

The creator platform announcement had few details. Microsoft's Marketplace strategy affects Bedrock players and creators most, so watch for rules on revenue, tools and distribution before assuming it changes much.

Windows Central also notes that the Wilderness Bound Community Challenge is still running. Players earn exclusive character creator items and Java skins by placing cushions and a straw bed in-game.

What this means for Windows players​

If you play Minecraft on Windows, whether Java Edition through the launcher or Bedrock through the Xbox app, here's what to expect:

• Now: Dungeons II launches September 29 on Xbox PC, Steam and Game Pass, with Play Anywhere support.
• Soon: The Ice Caves drop with Frozen Zombies. Sound Effects Packs arrive on the Marketplace later this year.
• 2027: The Sift comes to both Java and Bedrock, with no date or feature list yet.

Server admins and modders can't plan for anything specific yet. Once Java snapshots and Bedrock previews include Sift content, the real work begins: plugin compatibility, world generation and performance tuning will all need attention. Until then, anything specific you read about how the main-game version works is guesswork, not an announcement.

The good news is that Minecraft's list of dimensions is finally getting longer after a very long time.

Update: Minecraft Live footage reportedly shows Sift’s bunny-like creatures (September 27, 2026)​

Video Games Chronicle reports that the Minecraft Live broadcast included a first glimpse of the Sift itself, describing the upcoming dimension as “beautiful, vibrant, and teeming with souls.” The footage reportedly showed distinctive bunny-like mobs in the new area.

That offers a little more visual direction than Mojang’s initial high-level confirmation, but it still does not establish whether those creatures, or the Sift’s Dungeons II-specific content, will transfer unchanged to Java and Bedrock next year.

Update: Thurrott identifies Sift biomes and confirms main-game version will differ (September 27, 2026)​

Thurrott reports that the Sift includes two named biomes, Singer’s Meadows and Carapace, along with shifting tides, new hazards and altered physics. Its report also describes companion and threat mobs within the dimension.

Crucially, Thurrott says Mojang has indicated that the version eventually added to Minecraft Java and Bedrock will differ from the Dungeons II implementation in unspecified ways. That reinforces the need for players and server operators to treat Dungeons II as an early introduction to the setting, not a final feature list for the sandbox game.

The report does not clarify which of the named biomes, mechanics or mobs will make the transition to the 2027 main-game release, nor does it provide a preview timeline.