Minecraft Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 3, announced by the Java Team on October 6, 2026, adds an underground cold biome called Ice Caves. It also adds Icicles and Ice Crystals, a cold-adapted zombie called the Frostbite, and a new Freezing effect. The Friends list gets a redesign with search and sorting. This is a snapshot, so it is a test build for the upcoming game drop and not a final release. The Java Team opens the announcement with: “Minecraft LIVE revealed the first look at our next game drop – and it’s frosty.”
Ice Caves: the new underground biome
Ice Caves can generate below colder Overworld biomes. The terrain is mostly Packed Ice and Calcite. Snow appears occasionally on the ground, and Ice Crystals can generate on the floor. Ores still generate, in pockets of Stone and Deepslate. Glow Lichen does not generate here.
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Mobs that normally spawn in caves can appear, along with Strays and Frostbites. Icicles hang from the ceiling. Larger Packed Ice icicles can form on both ceilings and floors.
New blocks: Ice Crystals and Icicles
Ice Crystals
Ice Crystals are crystal-like blocks similar to Amethyst Clusters. They give off light and can be placed facing any direction. They break if the block supporting them is removed.
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Icicles
Icicles work like Dripstone and Sulfur Spikes. Downward-pointing Icicles can grow naturally up to five blocks long in suitable dark areas outside the Nether. A falling Icicle damages whatever it hits, and an entity that lands on one takes extra damage. Pointed Icicles break when exposed to nearby light, and they also break if placed in the Nether. Treat them as a cave hazard that you can also build with.
Frostbite: the cold-biome zombie
Frostbites spawn in cold or icy biomes and switch between two attack modes. The choice depends on how far away the target is and whether the Frostbite has Ice Balls.
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| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Melee | Applies the Freezing effect |
| Ranged | Throws Ice Balls, which deal 4 damage to what they hit (scaled down with velocity) and have knockback |
The Frostbite’s other traits:
- It is immune to freezing and is not slowed by Freezing or Powder Snow.
- It can stand on Powder Snow.
- It turns into a Zombie if it stays underwater long enough.
- It drops Rotten Flesh and Ice Balls.
- Zombies and Husks can turn into Frostbites while inside Powder Snow.
Freezing and Ice Balls: effects and counterplay
A player with Freezing shakes and gradually becomes frozen, the same way as in Powder Snow. The effect can eventually deal damage. Leather armor protects against freezing as it does with Powder Snow. It does not stop Freezing from being applied and does not remove it.
Mobs take extra damage while affected. Mobs that are vulnerable to Freezing take five times the damage.
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You can use this yourself. Ice Balls are the ingredient for Potions of Freezing, including splash and lingering versions. Arrows of Freezing are crafted by surrounding a Lingering Potion of Freezing with eight arrows.
All of these numbers (5-block Icicles, 4 damage Ice Balls, 5× damage) are design values from the Java Team’s October 6, 2026 announcement. Snapshot values can change before release.
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Friends list and other changes
- The Friends list has a refreshed design with search and sorting options.
- The Social Interactions screen is replaced by the Other Players screen.
- Snow can be placed on Packed Ice.
- Snowballs apply knockback to players.
The official changelog also lists bug fixes. Check it directly for the full list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to try Snapshot 3 safely
- Open the Minecraft Launcher.
- Go to the Installations tab and enable snapshots.
- Create or select the snapshot installation and launch it.
Mojang warns that testing versions can corrupt worlds. Back up your worlds, or use a separate folder instead of your main saves. Do not open your main world in a snapshot unless you have a backup.
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Java Snapshot 3 is not Bedrock Preview
Bedrock Preview 26.60.29 separately describes experimental Ice Cave and Frostbite features. That is a different edition with its own build and status. The details above apply to Java Snapshot 3 only. Do not assume the same behavior or testing steps on Bedrock.
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