Ice caves and frost zombies: Mojang begins testing Minecraft’s final 2026 update

On September 30, 2026, Mojang launched public testing of content from the fourth and final game drop for Minecraft. The experimental Bedrock Edition Preview 26.60.29 build adds a full-fledged underground ice cave biome, dangerous icicle traps, glowing crystals and a new zombie variant called Frostbite. For players, it’s a long-awaited expansion of the cold world, but the developers warn that the new features are only available in test mode for now, not in the stable version of the game.

The dangers of the Ice Cave and crystals of light

The new Ice Cave biome generates deep beneath cold regions of the Overworld. The cave space is made up mostly of packed ice, snow and calcite blocks. The main source of natural light here is the new Ice Crystals — they replace the familiar glow lichen and cast a dim, cold glow.

Exploring the ice dungeons comes with new risks. Massive icicles up to five blocks long hang from the cave ceilings. When they lose their footing, they plummet down and deal serious damage to the character. The icicles also react to temperature: bright light sources such as torches or campfires can destroy them right above the player’s head.

The frost zombie Frostbite and freezing arrows

The main threat of the icy depths is the Frostbite zombie. This monster is adapted to the cold climate and can alternate its attacks: up close it strikes with its hands, while at medium range it throws ice balls at the player. Hits apply the Freezing status, which makes the character shiver from the cold, jump worse and take periodic damage from hypothermia over time.

After defeating the mob, players will be able to pick up ice projectiles for alchemy. With them, they can brew potions of freezing and craft arrowheads with a similar slowing effect.

How to try it and when to expect the release

Claims circulating on social media that ice caves have already been added to the stable Minecraft client are not true. The game’s official website stresses that the features are currently being tested exclusively in Preview and Beta builds on Bedrock Edition.

The studio runs a separate page for collecting feedback on the fourth drop. Players who decide to try the test caves are advised by support to always back up their worlds, since experimental builds can corrupt save files. Mojang has not yet disclosed the exact release date for the winter drop in the game’s release version.