Finally, a jump button!
Minecraft LIVE on Saturday (26 September) laid out what is coming next for Minecraft, from Ice Caves and Frozen Zombies to new Marketplace features and a closer look at Minecraft Dungeons II.
Aside from The Sift, Minecraft’s first new dimension in more than 14 years, Mojang also revealed the next game drop, introduced a new Zombie variant and throwable weapon, showed more of Minecraft Dungeons II, and shared what is coming to Minecraft World.
Here are the other announcements Minecraft players may have missed from the show.
Minecraft Ice Caves release details and features
Cold biomes are getting something new beneath the surface with the arrival of Ice Caves, Minecraft’s next game drop. “The Ice Caves are our newest cave biome,” Mojang explained during Minecraft LIVE, showing underground areas filled with ice crystals and icicles. The biome will appear as a rare extension beneath cold regions, adding more variety to places that players may already be familiar with above ground.
Those ice crystals are not just there to make the caves look pretty. They can be placed vertically or horizontally and used as a light source, which should give builders another option for illuminating colder-looking builds. Lighting will matter inside the caves themselves too. “Light is something that can turn into a problem here,” Mojang teased during the show, with Ice Caves designed to be beautiful but far from completely safe.
What are Frozen Zombies and ice balls in Minecraft?
Part of that danger comes from the Frozen Zombie, the latest addition to Minecraft’s growing Zombie family. The new variant can inflict a stacking Freezing effect through melee attacks, eventually freezing players after enough hits. It also has a ranged attack in the form of ice balls, which deal damage and knock their target backwards.
“When they hit the player, they’re going to give them the Freezing effect,” the developers explained during the demonstration. Players will be able to get those ice balls for themselves as well. Frozen Zombies drop them when defeated, while the items can also be crafted and thrown as weapons. Ice balls can additionally be used in brewing to create a potion capable of applying the Freezing effect.
Regular Zombies can turn into Frozen Zombies after spending time in powder snow. Since Husks can already be converted into regular Zombies, the new variant also adds another step to the chain for players who enjoy experimenting with mob farms.
Minecraft Marketplace Sound Effects Packs explained
Minecraft Marketplace is getting another form of customisation later this year with the addition of Sound Effects Packs. The packs will let players change how their worlds sound, expanding Marketplace customisation beyond the visual options already available through existing content. Mojang did not go much deeper into how Sound Effects Packs will work during the show, so details such as how extensively they can change Minecraft’s audio are still to come.
Minecraft Dungeons II gameplay changes and The Sift
Minecraft Dungeons II also got a much closer look ahead of its 29 September launch. The sequel begins in Bravehaven, where players help Villagers find a new home before discovering that something is going badly wrong across the Overworld. Soul corruption is spreading, unfamiliar enemies are appearing, and the mystery eventually leads into The Sift.
Exploration is less rigid this time around thanks to a more interconnected world that gives players greater freedom over where they go. Villagers also play a bigger role, with opportunities to get to know and help them throughout the adventure.
There is also one surprisingly simple addition that had the developers particularly excited: jumping. “One thing that I think is super exciting is to be able to jump, to be honest,” one developer said during Minecraft LIVE. Jumping opens up small parkour sections hiding secrets around the world and can also be used during combat for jump attacks. And once players enter The Sift through its mysterious rifts, the surroundings change considerably. “As you step into the Sift for the first time, you'll see this environment that's really rich with souls,” Mojang said during the show.
Minecraft Dungeons II launches on 29 September, with post-launch DLC also planned.
Minecraft World hotel and Escape the Nether rollercoaster
Minecraft is also expanding outside the games themselves. Minecraft World at Chessington World of Adventures Resort will feature Escape the Nether, billed during the show as “the world’s first Minecraft rollercoaster”. The attraction will be joined by what is being called the first official Minecraft hotel, with both set to open as part of the Minecraft World experience next year.
Mojang’s new Minecraft creator platform
Mojang also used Minecraft LIVE to tease a new platform aimed at making it easier for more people to create their own experiences inside Minecraft. There is not much to dig into yet, with the studio stopping short of explaining exactly what tools creators will have access to or how those experiences will work inside the wider game.
Still, the initiative points towards Mojang putting more emphasis on player-created experiences alongside its regular game drops and updates. More details are expected later.
