Mojang is bringing a fourth destination to Minecraft: The Sift. It will join the Overworld, Nether, and End as a lasting part of the game, marking the franchise’s first added dimension in more than 14 years. After its initial Gamescom tease, Mojang presented a detailed look during Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026.
Quick answer: The Sift plays first in Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29, 2026. Java and Bedrock Edition get it as a full dimension in 2027, with no exact date confirmed yet.
What The Sift is
The Sift adds an entirely separate realm, rather than a collection of biomes or a makeover for familiar terrain. Mojang calls it beautiful, vibrant, and full of souls. That gives it a very different character from the Nether’s lava and aggression or the End’s sparse, boss-centered emptiness. Its emphasis is on color, life, and mystery, making it feel more like an unusual alternate Overworld where settling down is possible than a place defined by danger and solitude.
The scenery is vivid and full of activity: glimpses reveal red and orange stone, green plants, glittering water, sculk-like growth, and souls floating in the air. Pools of dangerous icor bring an element of peril to the surroundings. The dimension also comes with its own rules to master, beyond simply exploring unfamiliar scenery.
- Tidal changes in The Sift can influence your character as well as nearby allies.
- New dangerous blocks change how you move and explore.
- Skill checks await in the newly introduced environments.
- The dimension has its own distinctive mobs, which may serve as allies or pose a threat.
Biomes and mobs revealed so far
Mojang has revealed two biome names—Meadows and Carapace—while holding back the rest for players to discover during Minecraft Dungeons II. So far, the creatures on display belong to that game; they should not be taken as a confirmed roster for vanilla Minecraft.
- Sifters
- Singers
- Neesters
- Sprouts
- Blue bunnies, which appeared in the Minecraft Live glimpse
Which of these make the jump into vanilla Minecraft has not been confirmed. For now, the Dungeons II versions are the only ones you can actually see in motion.
How to reach The Sift first in Minecraft Dungeons II
Minecraft Dungeons II, an action-RPG sequel due out September 29, 2026, is where The Sift will appear before it reaches Java or Bedrock. Its predecessor used a map for selecting missions, but this sequel takes place in a single connected world. Rifts appear throughout the Overworld; enter one to arrive in The Sift.
A short way into the campaign, strange changes begin affecting the Overworld. Unfamiliar enemies show up, while souls float across the landscape, suggesting that nature’s balance is unraveling. The story links the disturbance to an Illager High Council; pursuing the mystery ultimately leads you into the new dimension. Until the base-game version is released, this is the best chance to see The Sift’s blocks, biomes, and mobs.
At release, Minecraft Dungeons II will be available for PC through Steam and Xbox, as well as Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. It joins Game Pass on day one and includes Xbox Play Anywhere support, letting you play from launch without a console or a high-end PC. Visit the Minecraft Dungeons II page on the Microsoft Store.
What Java and Bedrock players get in 2027
According to Mojang, The Sift will arrive in Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027 as a full dimension for building, survival, and exploration—not merely a place to fight. During Minecraft Live, viewers also saw a brief unfinished version running in the base game, including a mob that lives there.
Only the release year is known so far; the finer details have not been shared. Mojang has given no month or price, and has released no vanilla Minecraft list of blocks, mobs, or progression features. The route into The Sift is also a mystery, leaving its portal, world generation, and survival rules unannounced. Players have long joked about using a glowstone-and-water portal inspired by the old Aether mod, but there is no confirmation that this is how access will work.
Treat any precise 2027 date, price, or mechanic as unverified until Mojang confirms it through its own channels. The studio has said it will share more at future Minecraft Live events.
Why “over 14 years” is the real headline
Three realms have defined Minecraft’s world since the Nether and End were in place ahead of the game’s November 2011 1.0 release. Mojang expanded what players could do in those dimensions over the years, especially with 2020’s Nether Update, without creating another destination. The Sift ends that long-standing pattern, making it the show’s most notable reveal.
| Dimension | Introduced | Access point |
|---|---|---|
| Overworld | 2009 original release | Default spawn |
| The Nether | 2010–2011, overhauled 2020 | Obsidian portal |
| The End | 2011, with the 1.0 launch | Stronghold End portal |
| The Sift | Dungeons II Sept. 29, 2026; Java/Bedrock 2027 | Not yet detailed for the base game |
For the earliest chance to explore The Sift, play Minecraft Dungeons II when it arrives on September 29; the dimension will then come to the base game at some point in 2027.
