Minecraft:Java Edition 26.4

Template:Infobox version Template:Relevant guide 26.4, the release of the fourth game drop of 2026, is an upcoming Minecraft:game drop for Template:JE, planned to be released in the fourth quarter of 2026. It introduces the Minecraft:ice caves, a cave Minecraft:biome featuring Minecraft:icicles and Minecraft:ice crystals, as well as the Minecraft:frostbite, Minecraft:ice balls, and the Minecraft:Freezing effect, and fixes bugs.

Additions

Blocks

File:Ice Crystal (U) JE1.png Minecraft:Ice crystal

• A new crystal-like block similar to Minecraft:amethyst clusters, which generates on the ground in Minecraft:ice caves.
• Provides a small amount of Minecraft:light.
• Can be placed on all sides of a block.
• Breaks if the support block is removed.

File:Icicle.png Minecraft:Icicle

• A new speleothem-like block similar to Minecraft:pointed dripstone and Minecraft:sulfur spikes.
• Naturally generate as stalactites on the ceiling in Minecraft:ice caves, but can also be placed on the ground as stalagmites.
• Can naturally grow up to 5 blocks long when pointing downward.
  • Only grows in areas without nearby light sources and outside Minecraft:the Nether.
• Minecraft:Icicle blocks melt and break when a strong enough light source is nearby, or in the Nether.
• Falling Minecraft:icicles deal damage to entities.
• Falling on an Minecraft:icicle stalagmite multiplies the fall damage.
• It can be placed in any direction and has a base, middle and tip variant.

Items

Template:InvSprite Minecraft:Arrow of Freezing

• A Minecraft:tipped arrow which applies the Freezing effect.

Template:InvSprite Minecraft:Frostbite spawn egg

• Used to spawn a Minecraft:frostbite.

Template:InvSprite Minecraft:Ice ball

• A throwable projectile that deals damage.
  • It does more damage based on its projectile speed.
• They deal a small amount of damage and also deal knockback.
  • Deals 4 damage to entities it hits, scaling down with velocity.
• Breaks on impact with blocks or entities, creating a particle effect and sound.
• Can be used to brew potions of Freezing.
• Obtained from Minecraft:frostbites, which have a chance to drop them when killed.

Template:AnimateSpriteMinecraft:Potion of Freezing

• Obtained by brewing an Minecraft:awkward potion with an Minecraft:ice ball.
• Applies the Minecraft:Freezing effect when consumed.

Mobs

width=55x55 File:Baby Frostbite JE1 BE1.png Minecraft:Frostbite

• A Minecraft:zombie variant that can be found in snowy biomes.
  • Zombies convert into frostbites when they stay in Minecraft:powder snow too long.
  • Minecraft:Husks now also convert into zombies when they stay in Minecraft:powder snow too long.
• Immune to Minecraft:Freezing effect.
  • Does not sink in Minecraft:powder snow.
• Burns in sunlight.
• It has two modes of attacking: a melee attack and a ranged attack.
  • Switches between melee and ranged combat based on target distance and whether they have Minecraft:ice balls.
  • Most frostbites use a standard melee attack, which gives the Freezing effect.
  • Some frostbites spawn holding ice balls, which they throw as a ranged attack.
• Drops ice balls and Minecraft:rotten flesh when killed.
• Converts into a zombie when underwater for too long.

World generation

Template:BiomeSprite Minecraft:Ice caves

• A cave biome that generates underneath frozen biomes.
• It consists mainly of Minecraft:packed ice and Minecraft:calcite.
• Large Minecraft:icicles made of packed ice generate on the ground and hanging from the ceiling.
• Minecraft:Ice crystals occasionally generate on the ground.
• Sometimes patches of Minecraft:snow can generate here.
• Does not generate Minecraft:glow lichen, unlike other cave biomes.
• Ores generate inside blobs of Minecraft:stone and Minecraft:deepslate.
• Common cave monsters along with Minecraft:strays and Minecraft:frostbites can spawn here.

Gameplay

Minecraft:Effects

• File:Freezing JE1 BE1.png Minecraft:Freezing
  • An effect that causes an entity to Minecraft:freeze, dealing damage over time and slowing their movement.
    • The Freezing effect will cause players to shake and eventually deal damage.
    • Causes those affected to slowly become frozen as if in powder snow for its duration.
  • Wearing a piece of Minecraft:leather armor prevents the entity from freezing, just like with Minecraft:powder snow, but will not keep the effect from being applied and will not remove the effect.
  • Mobs will take additional damage from Freezing while they are affected by this effect.
    • Mobs that are vulnerable to Freezing have a five times multiplier to the damage taken.
  • Lingering potion, splash potion, and Minecraft:potion of Freezing can be brewed using ice balls.
  • Minecraft:Arrows of Freezing can be crafted by placing a lingering potion of Freezing in the middle of the crafting table surrounded by eight arrows.

General

Block sound sets

• Added Template:Cd registry containing definitions for sounds produced by different categories of blocks.
  • Format: object with fields:
    • Template:Cd - a float between Template:Cd and Template:Cd, the relative volume at which all sounds will be played.
      • If not present, defaults to Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd - a float between Template:Cd and Template:Cd, the relative pitch at which all sounds will be played.
      • If not present, defaults to Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd - Sound event, the sound that will be played when the block gets broken.
    • Template:Cd - Sound event, the sound that will be played when an entity walks on top of the block.
    • Template:Cd - Sound event, the sound that will be played when the block gets placed.
    • Template:Cd - Sound event, the sound that will be played while the block is being destroyed.
    • Template:Cd - Sound event, the sound that will be played when an entity falls onto the block.
    • All sound fields are optional.

Minecraft:Environment attributes

• Template:Cd
  • Determines whether the sky occluder is enabled for the environment. The sky occluder will occlude the sky box up until a certain angle with fog color with a smooth occlusion border.
    • Value type: boolean
    • Default value: Template:Cd for the Overworld, Template:Cd for the Nether and the End.
    • Interpolated: no

Other Players

• Other Players is a new menu which has been added to replace Social Interactions.
• Other Players is only available when playing on a world open to multiplayer
  • This includes:
    • Playing in singleplayer worlds open to LAN
    • Playing on dedicated servers
    • Playing on Realms
  • It can be opened by pressing the "Other Players" icon button in the pause menu
  • It can also be opened from in-game using the "Other Players" key ('P' by default)
• It lists the players currently online in the world you are in
• It lists players who are not online anymore, but may still be of interest:
  • Players who were just online but left
  • Players who recently sent messages in the chat
• Clicking on a player's icon in the list opens their Player Options.

Minecraft:Particles

• Added Template:Cd.
  • Emitted by entities which are affected by the Minecraft:freezing mob effect.
  • Has no fields.

Player Options

• Player Options is a new screen accessible through both the Friends list and Other Players.
• It contains per-player social actions previously spread across the Friends list and Social Interactions.
• These actions are:
  • Sending or canceling a friend request
  • Accepting or declining a friend request
  • Muting a player
  • Reporting a player
• Muting a player hides their chat messages until the next time you start the game
• Blocking players is managed through Other Players.

Minecraft:Predicates

• Added Template:Cd
  • Checks if the height of the position is below a given heightmap value.
  • Format:
    • Template:Cd: Heightmap type to compare origin against.

Minecraft:Shaders

• Added sky_occluder.vsh and sky_occluder.fsh shaders which are used to occlude the sky box up until the certain angle with fog color with a smooth occlusion border.

Tags

• Biome Tags
  • Added the Template:Cd biome tag.
    • Contains biomes to generate below worlds that predate Minecraft:Caves & Cliffs.
  • Added the Template:Cd collection tag.
  • Added Template:Cd to describe all biomes which allow the spawning of strays without requiring powder snow on the surface above them.

• Block Tags
  • Added the block tag Template:Cd to describe all blocks which are allowed to be replaced by ores within ice caves (in addition to Template:Cd, Template:Cd and Template:Cd)
  • Added the block tag Template:Cd to describe all blocks causing icicles directly above to melt.
  • Added the block tag Template:Cd to describe all blocks which are allowed to be replaced by large icicles within the ice caves biome.
  • Added several block tags to affect how mobs pathfind:
    • Template:Cd - blocks to be avoided while flying, either due to danger or potential to get stuck.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that will damage entities that walk through them, but are not considered dangerous enough to avoid entirely.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that will damage entities that walk through them.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that can be dropped down through.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that are considered leaves.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that are considered completely open to walk through.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that are considered powder snow.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that are considered rails.
    • Template:Cd - blocks that are considered sticky, causing slowed movement and inability to jump.

• Block Sound Set Tags
  • Added Template:Cd - block sound sets which when stepped on cause Horses to produce a galloping sound.

• Item Tags
  • Added Template:Cd for items picked up and used by the frostbite.
  • Added Template:Cd for items which shall apply knockback even if they do 0 damage.
  • Added Template:Cd - items that can be used to dye a sheep's wool.
    • The color will be taken from the Template:Cd component of the used item stack.

Changes

Blocks

Minecraft:Brown mushroom and Minecraft:red mushroom

• Can now be placed on any block with a top solid face regardless of lighting conditions.
  • They still cannot spread unless the brightness at the new growth is less than 13, or its support block overrides light requirements, like Minecraft:mycelium.

Minecraft:Ice

• Added unique sounds.

Minecraft:Snow

• Can now be placed on Minecraft:packed ice.

Items

Minecraft:Snowball

• Now applies knockback to players.

Mobs

Minecraft:Wandering Trader

• Can sell now Minecraft:ice crystals and Minecraft:icicles.

World generation

General

• Upgrading worlds from before Minecraft:Caves and Cliffs will now also generate Minecraft:sulfur caves below old chunks.

Features

• Changed Template:Cd
  • Added the Template:Cd field.
    • Optional int provider, the width of the trunk centered around the origin.
      • Defaults to Template:Cd

Material conditions

• Updated Template:Cd
  • No longer considers height modifications from eroded badlands "surface extensions" in an order-dependent way.

Minecraft:Noise settings

• The Template:Cd field has been removed.
  • This is now always Template:Cd – any other block should be defined by the Minecraft:material rule.Template:More info

Minecraft:Placed features

• The possible domain in the XZ plane of placed features included in biomes is now validated.
  • Feature placement can only occur within a 3×3 chunk region: as such, it is not valid for a Placed Feature to select a position outside of that range.
  • Note: the size of the feature itself is not currently taken into consideration, which may still overflow the chunk.

Placement modifiers

• Changed Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd and Template:Cd have been adjusted to represent the actual size of the cuboid, instead of implicitly being 1 block larger.
    • As such, an Template:Cd of Template:Cd will actually produce a 2×2 cuboid instead of 3×3.
• Changed Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd now requires at least one element.

Command format

General

• NBT conversion from floating point types to integer types now always converts to the closest possible valid number after rounding down.

Template:Cmd

• Will now fill biomes with block accuracy.

General

Minecraft:Data pack

• The Minecraft:pack format version is now Template:Cd.
• Entries for different biomes in multi-noise biome sources can no longer overlap across all noise parameters with the same offset.

Minecraft:Debug screen

• A new Template:Cd shows the rendering status of chunks around the player. This will impact performance at high view distances.
• The chunk load overlay has been split off from Template:Cd and into a new Template:Cd.

Dedicated server properties

• Added Template:Cd
  • A list of comma-separated ids.
  • If non-empty, the server will match the values against Template:Cd property in Template:Cd packet.
    • If there is no match, the server will reject the connection.
  • This works both for both status and login connections, so any user connecting without the correct Template:Cd in the server address will not see the status and will not be able to join the server.
• Added Template:Cd field
  • If non-empty, the value of this field will be sent in the Template:Cd packet JSON payload under the contact property.
  • This value is meant to be used to signal a way to contact the server owners about the server, even if there is no website or other information about it.
  • This field is meant to be human-readable, but there are no other restrictions on field format.
• Added Template:Cd field
  • This option allows disabling existing legacy (pre-1.7) server status and ping protocol handling.
  • To preserve existing functionality, value defaults to Template:Cd.
  • Note: Template:Cd needs to be set for any status information (modern or legacy) to be set.

Minecraft:Fog

• Render distance edge fog now reduces the opacity of objects at the edge of loaded chunks, rather than fading them into an opaque, constant color (which previously made them stick out strongly from the sky).

• Fog typical of 26.3 and prior
  Fog typical of 26.3 and prior
• 26.4+ opacity-modifying fading
  26.4+ opacity-modifying fading

Minecraft:Friends list

• Updated the design of the Friends list.
• Added searching.
  • In the Friends tab, the profile name text box used for sending requests also functions as a search box.
  • In the requests tab, a search box appears at the top if the player has 15 or more requests.
• Added sorting.
  • Sort modes can be cycled through by pressing the new sort button.
  • The current sort modes are:
    • Sort by who's online - friends who are listed as online appear at the top of the list.
    • Sort by alphabetical order - friends are sorted according to the alphabetical order of their names.
• Clicking on a player's icon in the Friends list now opens their Player Options.
• Removed "Remove Friend" button.
  • This functionality is now accessible through Player Options instead.

Network protocol

• Added Template:Cd custom packet payload
  • This packet is intended to inform servers about client mods to simplify debugging.
  • Vanilla client sends an empty packet at the start of configuration phase, as it does not know about any mods – that is still a responsibility of 3rd-party modding platforms.

• Modified Template:Cd packet
  • The Template:Cd field in the serverbound intention packet can now hold additional parameters (previously it stored only the domain name used for connecting to a server).
    • The new format is similar to URI query strings – the domain can now optionally be followed by a Template:Cd character and then followed by Template:Cd pairs separated by a Template:Cd character.
    • Empty values can be omitted (including Template:Cd sign).
    • Keys and values are escaped according to the standard URI rules ("percent-encoded component").
    • Keys starting with Template:Cd are reserved for vanilla use.
    • Users can now input properties in any "Server Address" field in the server list.
      • Additionally, any address in form of Template:Cd will be parsed as Template:Cd
    • If a server uses SRV DNS records, the host field will contain both original and resolved domains.
      • If the resolved domain is different from the original domain, the resolved one will be used as the "primary" one, while the original one will be added as Template:Cd ("origin") property.
      • Example host string: Template:Cd, while the port field in the intention packet will be set to the resolved port value.
    • The field size has been extended to 1024 characters.
    • Note: since the Template:Cd packet is unencrypted, properties should not be used for any security-sensitive purpose.

• Modified Template:Cd packet
  • Added Template:Cd field – a string to string map of properties that will be added to the host field in the Template:Cd packet sent to the target server.

Minecraft:Options

• "Graphics API" Video Setting:
  • "Default" now behaves the same as "Prefer Vulkan".
  • The game will no longer change the graphics API setting automatically if a startup crash is detected.

Order-Independent Transparency shaders

• The OIT algorithm was simplified by replacing the wavelet-based mathematics with depth bin-based accumulation.
  • Slightly improved performance at least on some devices.
  • Reduced floating point precision issues on average.
  • Template:Cd shader define was removed.
  • Template:Cd shader define was replaced by Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd shader define was renamed to Template:Cd

Minecraft:Particles

• Removed particle type Template:Cd

Player Reporting

• Redesigned the save/discard draft confirmation screen.
• Player reports saved as drafts no longer prompt you to discard them upon exiting a world if they can be continued later.
  • Chat reports can never be continued.
  • Name reports can be continued if the reported player is in your Friends list.
  • Skin reports can be continued if the reported player is in your Friends list.
• Pressing "Quit Game" in the main menu will now give a warning if you have an unsent draft report that would be lost.

Minecraft:Resource pack

• The version is now Template:Cd.

Minecraft:Shaders

• screenquad.vsh was renamed to screentriangle.vsh since it was actually representing a single triangle for a while now.
• Removed OIT (Order-Independent Transparency, controlled by "Improved Transparency" video setting) support from the clouds.fsh, since it is now used to render clouds when OIT is off and to render clouds to an offscreen target when OIT is on.
• Added blit_clouds.fsh shader with OIT support that renders clouds from an offscreen target to OIT targets.

Minecraft:Sky

• When "Improved Transparency" is on, sky background and clouds that are behind the terrain are now blended into the terrain render distance fog making the boundary between the sky and the terrain invisible.
• In the Overworld, the bottom half of the skybox is now occluding the celestial objects such as the Minecraft:sun, the Minecraft:moon and the stars.

Minecraft:Sounds

• Added new sound events:
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd
  • Template:Cd

Tags

• Biome Tags
  • Added Template:Cd to Template:Cd tags.

• Block Tags
  • Added Template:Cd to Template:Cd tag.
  • Added Template:Cd to Template:Cd tag.
  • Removed Template:Cd to Template:Cd tag.

• Entity Type Tags
  • Added Template:Cd to Template:Cd tags.
  • Added Template:Cd to Template:Cd tag.

• Potion Tags
  • Added Template:Cd to Template:Cd tag.

Minecraft:Textures

• Block Models
  • Added new block models:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd

• Block Textures
  • Added new block textures:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd

• Entity Textures
  • Added new entity textures:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd

• Item Models
  • Added new item models:
    • Template:Cd

• Item Textures
  • Added new item textures:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd

• Particles
  • Added new particle textures:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd

• UI Sprites
  • Added new UI textures:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
  • The following textures have been renamed:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
  • The following textures have been removed:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd

Minecraft:UI

• The items in the debug overlay (Template:Keys by default) are now sorted into categories and have been made easier to read and understand.
• Lightmap visualization is now configurable as Template:Cd in debug options and appears in the Light group.
  • Its visibility setting is saved with the debug profile.
  • It can now be displayed alongside the FPS and network charts.
• The Social Interactions screen has been replaced with the new Other Players screen.
• The "Social Interactions" keybind has been renamed to "Other Players".
• The Friends button has received a new icon.
• The "Visibility" option has been moved from Online Options into the Friends list.
• The icon buttons in the pause menu have been reordered to match the main menu.

• The original default debug screen design
  The original default debug screen design
• The new default debug screen design
  The new default debug screen design

Minecraft:World generation

• Features
  • Changed Template:Cd
    • Added Template:Cd - a field that contains various settings for the placement of the speleothem cluster:
      • Template:Cd - represented by an enum that is one of Template:Cd, Template:Cd, Template:Cd
      • Template:Cd - sets a state on the base block of the speleothem block.
        • Template:Cd - the regular base block state used in sulfur spikes and dripstone spikes.
        • Template:Cd - the state of the base block of the Icicle when it is attached to a surface.
      • Template:Cd - boolean indicating whether the speleothem can be placed in water or not.
  • Changed Template:Cd (renamed from Template:Cd)
    • Added the field Template:Cd - Block State Provider, the block to build the large dripstone out of

• Feature placements
  • Added the following ore placements:
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
    • Template:Cd
  • These are all identical to their non-ice-cave counterparts, only that they place a patch of stone or deepslate (depending on y-level) before placing the ore itself.
    • They can replace ice and calcite as well.

• Noise Settings
  • Added new noises:
    • Template:Cd