Quick answer
The Sift is Minecraft's fourth dimension — the first new one in over 14 years, after the Overworld, the Nether and the End. It is playable right now in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launched on September 29, 2026, and it arrives in Minecraft Java & Bedrock Edition in 2027. Mojang has not announced an exact 2027 date, or how players will enter the Sift in the main game.
The Sift at a glance
| What it is | A new Minecraft dimension, announced at Minecraft LIVE on September 26, 2026 |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Minecraft Dungeons II — out now (September 29, 2026) |
| Coming to | Minecraft Java & Bedrock Edition, 2027 |
| How it ranks | Minecraft's 4th dimension — the first new one in over 14 years |
| Named biomes | Meadows and Carapace |
| Key mechanic | Shifting tides — they affect your character and those around you |
| Also new | Hazardous blocks, plus new mobs (companions and threats) |
| In Dungeons II | Rifts throughout the world transport you to the Sift |
| In Java & Bedrock | Entry method and exact date both unannounced |
Confirmed vs. still a mystery
We split everything we know into what Mojang has actually confirmed and what it hasn't. Anything below the line is speculation we won't print.
Officially confirmed
- The Sift is a new dimension — Minecraft's fourth, and the first new one in over 14 years (announced at Minecraft LIVE, September 26, 2026)
- It appears first in Minecraft Dungeons II, released September 29, 2026
- It comes to Minecraft Java & Bedrock Edition in 2027
- Two biomes have names: Meadows and Carapace. Mojang is keeping other areas secret
- It brings new mobs — both companions and threats
- Shifting tides can affect your character and those around you
- Hazardous new blocks will change how you approach exploration
- In Dungeons II, rifts appear throughout the interconnected world; stepping into one sends you to the Sift
Not announced — don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise
- The exact 2027 release date for Java & Bedrock
- How you'll enter the Sift in vanilla Minecraft (no portal, item or ritual has been confirmed)
- The names of any biomes beyond Meadows and Carapace
- How shifting tides will behave in Java & Bedrock — everything seen so far is Dungeons II
- Mob stats, drops, spawning rules, and boss details
- Any connection between the Sift and the Ice Caves game drop (they are separate)
What the Sift actually is
In Dungeons II, the Sift is discovered the way most stories start: something is wrong. Strange events begin to upend the natural order of the Overworld, new enemy types appear, and souls start flying through the world. That's your first brush with the Sift — a separate reality with its own look, its own rules, and its own dangers.
Mojang describes it as colourful and unlike anything in the three dimensions you already know: reds, oranges, green vegetation, and sculk. Aesthetically it has nothing in common with the Nether's lava or the End's void.
The Sift in Minecraft Dungeons II (playable now)
Dungeons II replaces the first game's level-based missions with an interconnected world — and that's what makes the Sift reachable. Rifts appear throughout the world map; stumble into one and it takes you to the Sift. You don't unlock it at the end of the game, either: the opening stages of Dungeons II tell you something has gone wrong with the world, and the dimension is part of the main story from there.
This is currently the only place you can experience the Sift, and Mojang has said so directly: if you want a preview of how it will work, play Dungeons II. That's where you'll taste its mobs, blocks, and biomes before the main game catches up.
The Sift in Minecraft Java & Bedrock (2027)
During Minecraft LIVE, Mojang showed a brief in-development look at the dimension running inside Minecraft itself — including one of the mobs that lives there. The Sift will join the Overworld, the Nether and the End as the game's fourth dimension in 2027.
Mojang is deliberately quiet about the rest. They haven't discussed how you'll access the Sift in the main game, or how the version you'll get in Minecraft will differ from Dungeons II's take on it. The company's guidance is simply to tune into future Minecraft LIVE events.