The Sift debuts first in Minecraft Dungeons II, which is scheduled to launch on September 29, 2026. For the main Minecraft game, Mojang Studios has confirmed the new dimension for Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027, but it has not announced a day or month. The studio has also not explained how players will enter the Sift in the base game or how closely the Java and Bedrock version will reproduce the mechanics seen in Dungeons II.
What is already confirmed for September 29
In Minecraft Dungeons II, the Sift is part of the adventure from launch. Mojang describes the sequel as an action RPG separate from the main Minecraft game, with new missions, enemies, and areas. The game is scheduled for September 29, 2026 on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
A major structural change from the first Minecraft Dungeons is the interconnected world. Instead of relying only on missions organized as isolated levels, Dungeons II lets players move through a connected world and use the new jumping feature. Rifts appear across that world, and entering one transports the player to the Sift.
How the Sift is presented in Minecraft Dungeons II
Official material describes the Sift as a colorful dimension filled with souls, new environments, and its own rules. During the opening stages of Dungeons II, strange events begin disrupting the natural order of the Overworld, new enemy types appear, and souls start flying through the world. The rifts lead the player into the new dimension.
Confirmed elements include new mobs, both threats and companions, hazardous blocks, and what Xbox Wire calls shifting tides. According to the announcement, these tides can affect the player character and nearby beings, while hazardous blocks change how environments are explored.
Mojang has also revealed the Meadows and Carapace biomes. Other Sift locations are being kept secret so players can discover them in the game. That means the public list of biomes, creatures, and interactions does not represent everything planned for Dungeons II.
What is reserved for Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027
The September 2026 Minecraft LIVE confirmed that the Sift will also be added to Minecraft Java and Bedrock. The presentation briefly showed the dimension running in development and at least one mob that lives there. The announcement describes the Sift as Minecraft's fourth dimension alongside the Overworld, Nether, and End, and as the first new dimension added in more than 14 years.
The public commitment, however, stops at the year 2027. As of September 27, 2026, the official materials reviewed do not provide a month, day, version number, snapshot, preview, or specific game drop for the Sift's arrival in the base game.
Mojang has not detailed how players will access the dimension in Java and Bedrock either. Rifts are a confirmed Dungeons II mechanic, but there is no official basis for saying that the same method will be used in the main Minecraft game. Xbox Wire explicitly says the studio is not yet explaining how to access the Sift in the base game or how that version will differ from its Dungeons II expression.
Dungeons II and base Minecraft: what the announcement separates
| Aspect | Minecraft Dungeons II | Minecraft Java and Bedrock |
|---|---|---|
| Sift availability | September 29, 2026, with the game's launch | Confirmed for 2027, with no day or month announced |
| Access method | Rifts across the interconnected world transport the player to the Sift | Not announced yet |
| Content shown | New mobs, shifting tides, hazardous blocks, Meadows, Carapace, and other locations still being kept secret | An in-development glimpse of the dimension and at least one mob during Minecraft LIVE |
| Game structure | Action RPG with combat, gear, exploration, and a connected world | Minecraft Java and Bedrock retain their own core design; the final Sift implementation has not been detailed |
| Parity between Sift versions | Specific features have already been explained for Dungeons II | It has not been confirmed that mobs, blocks, biomes, and mechanics will be identical to Dungeons II |
What is still unconfirmed for 2027
- the day and month when the Sift will launch in Minecraft Java and Bedrock;
- the version number or name of a game drop that will include the dimension;
- whether Java snapshots or Bedrock previews will be released before launch and, if so, when;
- the method for entering the Sift in the main Minecraft game;
- which Dungeons II mobs, blocks, biomes, and effects will carry over unchanged;
- whether shifting tides and rifts will work the same way in the base game.
How to read the preview without mixing the two games
For players who want to experience the Sift before it reaches the main Minecraft game, Dungeons II will be the first official playable version starting September 29. It provides a preview of the dimension's visual concept, mobs, blocks, and biomes, but inside the rules of an action RPG.
The Sift for Minecraft Java and Bedrock is a future implementation that is still in development. The 2027 announcement confirms the direction of the feature, not every detail. Mechanics shown in Dungeons II should therefore be treated as features of that version until Mojang confirms how they will be adapted to the base game.
