The short version
- What it is: the Sift, Minecraft's fourth dimension, after the Overworld, the Nether and The End.
- When: Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027. No date, and no snapshot yet.
- Confirmed by Mojang: the name, the year, two named areas (the Meadow and the Carapace) and at least one new mob, shown briefly at Minecraft Live.
- Not confirmed: how you'll get there, what you'll find, and how much of the Dungeons II version carries over.
- Play it now: only in Minecraft Dungeons II, out since 29 September 2026.
The End was added to Minecraft in 2011. Since then the game has gained oceans, caves, cliffs, cherry groves, Trial Chambers and the Deep Dark, but never another place to travel to. At Minecraft Live on 26 September 2026, Mojang said that's changing. The Sift is coming to the main game next year.
The complication is that the Sift isn't new. It's already the big setting of Minecraft Dungeons II, the action RPG that came out three days after the show. So most of what you can read about it describes the spin-off. That's useful as a preview, but a dungeon crawler and a survival sandbox need very different things from a dimension. This guide keeps the two apart.
What Mojang has confirmed
Everything in this section comes from Mojang and Xbox's own announcements.
| Detail | What's been said |
|---|---|
| Name | The Sift |
| Editions | Java and Bedrock |
| Release | 2027, no date |
| Where it ranks | The fourth dimension and the first new one in over 14 years |
| Named areas | The Meadow and the Carapace, with others kept secret |
| Mobs | New ones, described by Xbox as both companions and threats. One was shown running in Minecraft at the show. |
| Mood | "Beautiful, vibrant, and teeming with souls" |
| Rules | Xbox describes shifting tides that can affect characters nearby, and hazardous new blocks |
Look closely at the last two rows. The mood line and the tides come from descriptions written around Dungeons II's launch. Mojang showed the Sift running in the main game but said very little about how it will play there. Treat them as a strong hint about tone, not a feature list.
What the Sift looks like in Dungeons II
We haven't played Dungeons II for this article. This is how reviewers and Mojang's own trailer describe it, and it's the best look anyone has right now.
- Colour. Almost every description mentions the palette: blue and teal grass, pink and purple light, and pearly or rainbow-coloured water. It's the opposite of the Nether's reds and The End's pale stone.
- A softer first impression. Several reviewers noted that it feels less hostile than the Nether or The End, with gentle creatures in the open areas. Mojang's trailer still promises "powerful and mysterious threats".
- Souls everywhere. Floating souls are part of the look, and some creatures there have been corrupted by them.
- Hazards in the landscape. Reviewers mention water that hurts you, and the tides that change how a run plays.
- Rifts. In Dungeons II you don't build a portal. Rifts open in the world and pull you in.
Some of this will probably make the jump. Colours, music and atmosphere usually survive. Systems built for a loot game, like run modifiers and boss fights tuned for four players, are much less likely to arrive unchanged.
The big unanswered question: how do you get there?
Every dimension in Minecraft has a gate. You build a Nether portal from obsidian, and you find The End portal in a stronghold. Mojang hasn't said what the Sift's gate will be.
The guess you'll see most often points to Ancient Cities, the Deep Dark structures added in 2022. Each one has a huge frame of reinforced deepslate at its centre that looks exactly like an unfinished portal and has never done anything. Coverage of Dungeons II says the Sift can also be reached through a portal frame in the Deep Dark there. That's a neat connection, but it's still a guess for the main game until Mojang says otherwise.
If it does work that way, the Sift would be a late-game place. Ancient Cities are dark, deep and guarded by the Warden, so you'd need decent gear before you could even reach the gate. They're also not usually close to spawn. In our study of 50,000 Minecraft worlds, the median distance to the nearest one was 1,367 blocks.
How far is the nearest Ancient City?
If the rumour is right, this is how far you'd travel to reach the Sift's gate. Move the slider to see how many random worlds had an Ancient City within that distance of spawn.
From our study of 50,000 random Java Edition worlds, measured up to 1,600 blocks from spawn. Seeds are from our checked list for Java 26.3. Whether Ancient Cities lead to the Sift isn't confirmed.
What's coming before it
The Sift is next year's headline, and the next game drop comes first. That's the ice caves update, with ice crystals, icicles and a frozen zombie that throws ice balls. It's in testing now, and our guide to Minecraft ice caves explains how to try it. Minecraft also arrived on Switch 2 on 27 October, which we cover in Minecraft on Switch 2.
New dimensions in Minecraft usually show up in testing builds well before release. When the Sift appears in a Java snapshot or Bedrock Preview, it'll be the first chance to see how it actually plays, and we'll update this page.
How to keep track
- Watch the snapshot notes. Mojang publishes notes for every Java snapshot and Bedrock Preview. A new dimension will be hard to miss.
- Don't trust leaked feature lists yet. Several sites already list mob names, liquids and mechanics. Unless they come from Mojang, assume they're from Dungeons II or guesswork.
- Be careful with test worlds. When the Sift reaches snapshots, try it in a copied world. Test builds can break saves.
Mojang's Minecraft Live September 2026 recap is the official source for everything announced so far.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Sift coming to Minecraft?
Mojang says the Sift is coming to Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027. There's no month or date yet, and as of 31 October 2026 there's no snapshot or preview build with the dimension in it.
Can I play the Sift now?
Only in Minecraft Dungeons II, the action RPG spin-off released on 29 September 2026. In that game, rifts that open across the world take you into the Sift.
Is the Sift the first new Minecraft dimension since The End?
Yes. Mojang calls it the first new dimension in over 14 years. It will be the fourth, after the Overworld, the Nether and The End.
How will you get to the Sift in Minecraft?
Mojang hasn't said. In Dungeons II you reach it through rifts, and many players expect a link to the unexplained portal frame in Ancient Cities, but that's speculation until Mojang confirms it.
What biomes are in the Sift?
The two areas Mojang has named are the Meadow and the Carapace. Mojang has said other areas are being kept back for players to discover.
Facts in this article were checked against developer and store sources on 31 October 2026. Prices, versions and dates change, so confirm on the official page before you buy.
