The next content update for Minecraft will add ice caves, frozen zombies, and ice balls. Ice caves bring a new underground environment to cold regions, while frozen zombies and ice balls introduce freezing mechanics to exploration and combat.
These contents were announced at the Minecraft Live event on September 26. This update has not yet been named, and following the usual quarterly content update schedule, it is expected to launch in December 2026.
Ice caves are a relatively rare underground extension within existing cold biomes. Inside the caves, players can find harvestable ice crystals, which can be placed vertically or horizontally for decoration; ice crystals also emit light, providing illumination for builds.
Hostile frozen zombies will also appear in ice caves. Their melee attacks continuously stack the freezing effect, eventually freezing the player after consecutive hits. Frozen zombies can also throw ice balls, causing damage and knocking players back; being hit by an ice ball also applies the freezing effect.
Regular zombies can turn into frozen zombies after coming into contact with powder snow. Defeating frozen zombies drops ice balls, which players can also craft themselves.
Players can use ice balls as weapons to damage and knock back enemies. Ice balls can also be used to brew a new potion that applies the freezing effect.
In addition to this update expected in December, Mojang also announced that Minecraft will add its first new dimension in 15 years in 2027.