Minecraft The Sift: when you can enter the new dimension

Minecraft The Sift is the game's fourth dimension, and you can set foot in it sooner than you might think: it debuts in the spin-off Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29, 2026, and comes to Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027. Mojang announced it at Minecraft Live on September 26, alongside a new Ice Caves biome, a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Minecraft for October 27 and a Minecraft theme park at Chessington in 2027.

Key takeaways

• The Sift joins the Overworld, the Nether and the End as Minecraft's fourth dimension, the first new one in over 14 years, according to Mojang.
• You can explore it first in Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29. The main game gets it in 2027, with no month given.
• The next game drop adds Ice Caves, a frozen cave biome with icicles, glowing ice crystals and a new frozen zombie. Mojang gave no date in its recap.
• Minecraft arrives on Switch 2 on October 27. Mojang has promised a digital upgrade path for Switch owners but, as of September 27, has not said what it costs.
• Minecraft World, with a themed hotel and a rollercoaster, opens at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London in 2027.

What Minecraft The Sift is

Mojang's own Minecraft Live recap describes the Sift as "beautiful, vibrant, and teeming with souls," with areas called the Meadow and the Carapace. It is the first dimension added in over 14 years; the End, the last one, arrived with version 1.0 in late 2011, as Engadget notes.

Microsoft's Xbox Wire post adds the most detail so far. The Sift brings new mobs, some companions and some threats, plus hazardous new blocks and "shifting tides" that can affect your character and the players around you. Mojang is keeping the rest of its biomes secret for now.

When you can play it: Dungeons II first, Minecraft in 2027

The quickest way into the new Minecraft dimension is Minecraft Dungeons II, the sequel to the Minecraft Dungeons spin-off. In it, rifts open across an interconnected world and pull you into the Sift, according to Mojang. Mojang also points out that, this time, you can jump.

Dungeons II launches September 29 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and Microsoft says it is included with Game Pass from day one. On Nintendo's US store, the Switch 2 version lists at US$29.99 (checked September 27, 2026).

For Minecraft itself, the wait is longer. Mojang says the Sift comes to Java and Bedrock "next year" and showed a brief in-development look, including one of its mobs. Xbox Wire says Mojang isn't yet explaining how you'll reach it in the main game or how it will differ from the Dungeons II version.

Minecraft ice caves: the next game drop

Before the Sift, Minecraft gets colder. The next game drop adds Ice Caves, a new cave biome in the same family as dripstone and lush caves. Mojang says they're filled with ice and calcite, plus two new blocks: icicles that grow from the ceiling and ice crystals that grow on the floor and give off a soft light.

The biome also brings a frozen zombie variant, still unnamed. Its hits deal damage and apply a freezing effect, and some of them throw ice balls. Mojang's recap gives no release date; Kotaku reports the drop is due later this year.

Minecraft on Switch 2: October 27, upgrade cost unknown

Mojang set the Switch 2 date in August, and the recap repeats it: October 27. The main change is graphics: Vibrant Visuals, Mojang's lighting and shadow upgrade, is on by default, though not in split-screen or in some Marketplace worlds. The Nintendo-only Super Mario Mash-Up pack is getting an update to match.

If you already own Minecraft on Switch, Mojang says "a digital upgrade path will be available," with "more details to follow." It hasn't said whether that upgrade is free or paid. Until then, the Switch version keeps working: Nintendo's store listing rates it "Supported" on Switch 2 and sells it for US$29.99 in the US. If you're weighing Switch 2 editions, see what EA FC 27 adds on Switch 2, and how The Witcher 3 remaster handles its upgrade.

Minecraft World at Chessington in 2027

Minecraft World opens at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, in London, in 2027, built with Merlin Entertainments. Mojang says it will include what it calls the world's first Minecraft World Hotel, with themed rooms and a deep-sea diner, and Escape the Nether, which it bills as the world's first Minecraft rollercoaster, running both indoors and outdoors. No opening month or ticket prices yet.

What happens next

• September 29: Minecraft Dungeons II launches, and the Sift becomes playable.
• October 27: Minecraft arrives on Switch 2. Watch for the upgrade price before then.
• Later in 2026: the Ice Caves drop, if Kotaku's timing holds.
• 2027: the Sift in Java and Bedrock, and Minecraft World at Chessington.

Mojang says it will share more about Minecraft The Sift at future Minecraft Live shows. More video game news lands on our category page.

Bottom line

If you want to see Minecraft The Sift now, Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29 is the only way in, and it's included with Game Pass. Minecraft players get Ice Caves first and the Sift in 2027. If you own Minecraft on Switch, wait for Mojang to price the upgrade before you buy the Switch 2 version.

FAQ

What is The Sift in Minecraft?

It is Minecraft's fourth dimension, after the Overworld, the Nether and the End. Mojang describes it as vibrant and full of souls, with areas called the Meadow and the Carapace, and Microsoft says it brings new mobs, hazardous blocks and shifting tides.

When does The Sift come to Minecraft?

Mojang says 2027 for both Java and Bedrock Edition, with no month yet. You can play it earlier in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launches September 29, 2026.

Is Minecraft on Switch 2 a free upgrade?

Not confirmed. Mojang says Switch owners will get a digital upgrade path, but as of September 27, 2026, it hasn't announced a price.

When is the Minecraft Switch 2 release date?

October 27, 2026. Vibrant Visuals is on by default in that version.