Minecraft is getting a fourth dimension. During the September Minecraft LIVE broadcast, Mojang unveiled The Sift, a new world that sits alongside the Overworld, the Nether and the End. It is the first dimension added to the game in more than fourteen years: the End arrived with version 1.0, at the end of 2011.
The debut, however, is not in classic Minecraft. The Sift makes its first appearance in Minecraft Dungeons II, released on 29 September, and will arrive in the Java and Bedrock editions in 2027. Mojang has not given a more precise date.
What the new dimension looks like
The style is a long way from the Nether. Mojang describes a lively world “full of souls”, with a palette dominated by blue and bright pink. For the American press it is, in essence, a pink dimension.
Two biomes have been shown:
- Singer’s Meadow, a lush meadow where the vegetation grows from red sculk;
- Carapace, a desert dotted with strange blue walls and giant hollow fossils.
Mojang is keeping the other environments under wraps so that players discover them for themselves. It has, though, promised new blocks, new mobs (some friendly, some hostile) and different rules to learn. “Tides” that change over time can affect the player and those nearby, while some dangerous blocks will force players to rethink how they explore. Among the creatures shown are rabbit-like animals that walk instead of hopping.
Dungeons II: release, platforms and prices
Minecraft Dungeons II came out on 29 September on PC (from the Xbox app or Steam), on Xbox Series X|S consoles, on PS5, and on both the original Switch and Switch 2. In Dungeons II, The Sift is the adventure’s second world, reached through rifts that open in the Overworld.
The game is included at launch in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, at no cost beyond the subscription. To buy it, the prices given for the US market are $30 for the standard edition and $50 for the deluxe. The latter adds four hero skins, the Soul Cape, the Blub pet and free access to the first two DLCs. Prices in euros and Swiss francs were not confirmed in the sources we compared: check the stores before buying.
What it means for Minecraft players
In the immediate term, nothing changes for anyone who only plays Minecraft on Java or Bedrock. The dimension will not be available before 2027, and it is unclear in what form, or with what content, it will arrive in the main game. Anyone who wants to see it now has to play Dungeons II.
It is also worth noting that the preview is tied to another title. It is a choice that boosts sales of the new spin-off and, at the same time, keeps interest in the main game alive more than a year in advance.
What we think
A new dimension is a rare event and Mojang knows it: for fourteen years updates have expanded biomes, mobs and structures within the existing worlds, but never added a truly new place. The visual tone chosen, the opposite of the gloom of the Nether and the End, is a bold gamble and stands out immediately from everything else.
Important questions remain, though. The fact that the debut happens in Dungeons II may mean that some ideas are designed for an action game and not for the sandbox. We will have to see how much is adapted for Java and Bedrock, and whether there will be differences between the two editions. For now we have two biomes, a few creatures and a promise for 2027: it is too early to judge, but enough to keep an eye on it.
If you are looking for more games coming to Nintendo consoles, take a look at Switch 2, Splatoon e Fire Emblem in arrivo.
Written by the SpazioiTech newsroom with the help of AI tools, from facts verified across at least two independent outlets, and checked before publication. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Translated from the Italian original. Read in Italian