Minecraft 26.4 Release Date: Ice Caves Now in Snapshot 3

The Minecraft 26.4 release date has not been announced yet (as of October 14, 2026): Mojang calls 26.4 the final game drop of 2026, and minecraft.wiki lists it for the fourth quarter of 2026. The ice caves are already playable, in Java Edition with 26.4 Snapshot 3 (October 6, 2026) and in the Bedrock Edition preview, where they arrived on September 30. The drop, the fourth of 2026, has no official name yet; Mojang showed its headline features at Minecraft LIVE on September 26, 2026. Here is what the update adds, how to try it now, and what it means for your server. Snapshot 4 was released on 13 October, adding Brittle Ice and jukebox playlists.

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Minecraft 26.4 features: what is new

• Ice caves: a new cave biome that generates under frozen biomes, with icicles and ice crystals.
• Frostbite: a new zombie variant, announced at Minecraft LIVE as a "frozen zombie variant". Its melee hit gives you the Freezing effect, and some frostbites carry ice balls that they throw at you. They spawn in ice caves and snowy biomes, and a zombie or husk that stays in powder snow turns into a frostbite.
• Icicles: they hang from the ceiling of ice caves and can also stand on the ground. A strong light source nearby makes them melt and break, and a falling icicle hurts, so watch your head when you place a torch.
• Ice crystals: a light source that generates in ice caves.
• Ice balls: a throwable projectile that frostbites can drop. You also brew the new Potion of Freezing with an ice ball.
• Freezing: a status effect that slows you down and deals damage over time. Any single piece of leather armor stops it from freezing you.

What is already in the Java snapshots?

The ice caves arrived in Java Edition with 26.4 Snapshot 3 on October 6, 2026. That snapshot brings all the features above to Java, while Bedrock players could already try them from September 30, 2026 in the preview (version 26.60, with the "Drop 4 of 2026" experiment). The four Java snapshots so far (as of October 14, 2026):

• 26.4 snapshot 1 (September 22): Vulkan becomes the default renderer, plus smaller changes.
• 26.4 snapshot 2 (September 29): new fog at the edge of your render distance and a redesigned debug screen. The data pack format went to 122.1 and the resource pack format to 99.0.
• 26.4 snapshot 3 (October 6): the first Java snapshot with the ice caves. They generate under cold biomes and consist mainly of packed ice and calcite, with glowing ice crystals and icicles that grow up to 5 blocks long and hurt when they fall. It also adds the frostbite, the Freezing effect, ice balls and the Arrow of Freezing. That snapshot uses data pack format 123.0 and resource pack format 100.0.
• Snapshot 4 (13 October 2026): Brittle Ice and jukebox playlists. Data pack format 124.0, resource pack format 100.1.

To see the ice caves yourself, enable snapshots in the Installations tab of the Minecraft Launcher, start 26.4-snapshot-4 in a new world and explore the caves below cold biomes such as snowy plains, snowy taigas or frozen oceans. Details can still change in later snapshots before the release.

When does 26.4 come out?

There is no exact Minecraft 26.4 release date yet (as of October 14, 2026). Mojang calls 26.4 the final game drop of 2026, and minecraft.wiki lists the release for the fourth quarter of 2026. Snapshots usually run for a few months before a drop: for 26.3 the first snapshot came out in June and the release followed on September 15. With the ice caves now in Snapshot 3, watch for the first pre-releases and release candidates: they are the last step before a release.

How to prepare your server for 26.4

1. Make a full backup of your world, plugins and configuration before you update.
2. Check your Java version. Since 26.1, Minecraft servers need Java 25. If you already run 26.3, you are set.
3. Wait for your server software. Paper and Purpur publish compatible builds some time after each release; Paper 26.3, for example, was still in beta three weeks after its release. Update once your key plugins support 26.4.
4. Update data packs and resource packs. The pack format changes with 26.4, so older packs may show a warning or stop working.
5. Test snapshots on a separate server, never on your main world. Snapshot worlds can break and cannot always be opened in other versions.

Do you need a new world for ice caves?

No. Like every terrain update, ice caves will only generate in chunks that have not been generated yet. Your existing builds stay as they are; explore new areas under frozen biomes, or expand your world border, to find the new caves.

Frequently asked questions

What does 26.4 Snapshot 4 add?

Snapshot 4, released on 13 October 2026, adds Brittle Ice and jukebox playlists. Its data pack format is 124.0 and resource pack format is 100.1.

When is the Minecraft 26.4 release date?

There is no exact date yet (as of October 14, 2026). Mojang calls 26.4 the final game drop of 2026, and minecraft.wiki expects it in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Java snapshots started on September 22, 2026, and Snapshot 3 with the ice caves followed on October 6.

What is added in Minecraft 26.4?

Ice caves, the frostbite, icicles, ice crystals, ice balls, the Freezing effect and the Potion of Freezing. In Java Edition they arrived with 26.4 Snapshot 3 (October 6, 2026), together with the Arrow of Freezing.

Is the frozen zombie called the frostbite?

Yes. Mojang announced it at Minecraft LIVE as a frozen zombie variant without a final name; in the Bedrock preview and in Java Snapshot 3 it is called the frostbite.

How do you stop the Freezing effect?

Wear at least one piece of leather armor. According to the Snapshot 3 changelog it protects you just like in powder snow, so a single piece keeps you from freezing, although the effect itself is still applied.

Can I run the 26.4 snapshot on my server?

Yes, but only on a separate test server with a backup. Snapshots are unfinished and can damage worlds.

Is Minecraft 26.4 out?

Not yet (as of October 14, 2026). You can already play the ice caves in Java Edition with 26.4 Snapshot 3 and in the Bedrock Edition preview, but the full release is still to come.

When do the ice caves come out in Minecraft?

The ice caves come out with Minecraft 26.4, which has no exact release date yet (as of October 14, 2026). Mojang calls it the final game drop of 2026, so it is planned for release in 2026; until then you can explore the ice caves in the snapshot and the preview.

How do you see the ice caves in the Minecraft 26.4 snapshot?

Open the Minecraft Launcher, enable snapshots in the Installations tab and start 26.4-snapshot-4 or newer. Create a new world, or a copy of one, and look in caves below cold biomes such as snowy plains or frozen oceans.

Where is the full Minecraft 26.4 changelog?

Mojang posts every snapshot changelog on minecraft.net, and the community-run Minecraft Wiki page for Java Edition 26.4 collects all changes in one place. This article sums up the main features and what they mean for your server.

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