The Sift: Minecraft's First New Dimension in 14 Years

What is The Sift?

The Sift is Minecraft’s fourth dimension — joining the Overworld, the Nether, and the End — and the first new dimension added to the game in over 14 years (the End dates to the 1.0 launch era). Mojang announced it at Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026.

During the broadcast viewers got a glimpse of the dimension inside vanilla Minecraft, plus one of the mobs that calls it home. The presentation frames it around a soul/wispy theme — Mojang has not published a full feature list yet.

When is it coming to Java and Bedrock?

2027 — confirmed for both editions, no narrower window announced. New-dimension content of this scope has always shipped across multiple snapshots, so expect the usual preview cycle through late 2026 and 2027.

Can I visit it before 2027?

Yes — The Sift debuts in Minecraft Dungeons II, which released September 29, 2026 on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch, and Switch 2. The spin-off’s version is its own take on the dimension, but it’s the first playable version Mojang has shipped — and Mojang explicitly framed it as a first taste of what’s coming to the main game.

What else was announced at Minecraft Live?

• The ice caves game drop — the fourth drop of 2026, expected December — see our Ice Caves page
• Minecraft on Nintendo Switch 2 — a native edition was announced during the show
• Creator tooling announcements and the usual community segments

Status tracker

This page is a living tracker — every snapshot, deep-dive, and confirmed detail gets added here as Mojang publishes it.

• Minecraft Wilderness Bound (26.3) — the drop currently live
• Ice Caves drop — expected December 2026
• Minecraft Beginner Guide — new here? Start at the overworld basics