Minecraft Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 3, released October 6, 2026, adds Ice Caves, icy blocks, Frostbite mobs and a Freezing effect, alongside updates to the friends and multiplayer menus. You can launch it from the Minecraft Launcher by enabling snapshots under Installations. Because test builds can corrupt worlds, use a backup or a separate test folder.
What’s new in Minecraft 26.4 Snapshot 3?
The Java Team’s October 6, 2026 release notes introduce a cold-cave biome and connected combat and building mechanics, plus social-menu changes. This is a Java Edition snapshot, not a general release announcement for every Minecraft edition.
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Ice Caves can generate beneath colder Overworld biomes. They consist mainly of Packed Ice and Calcite, with possible snow on the floor and ores in Stone and Deepslate pockets. Ice Crystals appear occasionally; Icicles hang from ceilings, and large Packed Ice icicles can form on floors or ceilings. Strays, Frostbites and ordinary cave mobs can spawn there. Glow Lichen does not generate in Ice Caves.
Ice Crystals emit light, resemble Amethyst Clusters, and can be placed in any direction. They break if their supporting block is removed. Icicles behave like speleothems: downward-pointing ones can naturally grow to five blocks, provided there is no nearby light. They do not grow in the Nether. Falling icicles hurt entities, and landing on them causes extra damage. Pointed icicles break if exposed to nearby light or placed in the Nether, so their placement and surroundings matter for both decoration and hazards.
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Frostbites, Freezing and Ice Balls
Frostbites are zombie variants found in cold or icy biomes. They switch between melee and ranged attacks based on distance and whether they have Ice Balls: melee hits apply Freezing, while ranged attacks throw Ice Balls. Frostbites can stand on Powder Snow and are immune to freezing and its slowing effects. A Frostbite submerged underwater long enough becomes an ordinary Zombie; Zombies and Husks caught in Powder Snow transform into Frostbites. Frostbites drop Rotten Flesh and Ice Balls.
The Freezing effect makes a player shake and gradually freeze, eventually causing damage, similar to Powder Snow. Leather Armor protects against freezing as it does in Powder Snow, but it neither prevents the effect from applying nor removes an effect already applied. Affected mobs take extra damage; mobs that are vulnerable to freezing take five times the damage.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteIce Balls are Frostbite projectiles. They deal four impact damage, with damage scaling down according to velocity, and apply knockback. They break on impact with blocks or entities. Ice Balls can also be used to brew Potions of Freezing, Splash Potions of Freezing and Lingering Potions of Freezing. To craft Arrows of Freezing, place a Lingering Potion of Freezing in the center of a crafting table and surround it with eight arrows.
What changed in Friends and multiplayer menus?
The Friends list has a refreshed layout, search, and sorting by online status or alphabetically. The profile-name field in the Friends tab also works as a search field. The Requests tab shows a search box when there are at least 15 requests. Selecting a player icon opens Player Options, grouping social actions such as friend requests, muting and reporting. Muting hides that player’s chat messages until the next time the game starts.
The Social Interactions screen has been replaced by Other Players, and its keybind has been renamed to match. The screen lists current players and some recently active players; it is available in multiplayer-open worlds, including LAN worlds, dedicated servers and Realms. Open it from the pause-menu icon or press P by default. Player blocking is managed there.
Two smaller gameplay changes: snow can now be placed on Packed Ice, and snowballs now knock players back.
How to install and play Snapshot 3
- Open the Minecraft Launcher.
- Go to Installations and enable snapshots.
- Select the Snapshot 3 installation and launch it.
- Load a backed-up world or use a separate test folder rather than opening a valuable main-world save.
Mojang’s release notes warn: “Testing versions can corrupt your world, so please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds.” Snapshot 3 is a Java Edition test build; the notes do not establish that it requires a separate purchase.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Technical changes and fixes
Snapshot 3 updates the Data Pack version to 123.0 and the Resource Pack version to 100.0 (Mojang Studios, 2026). These are compatibility identifiers, not performance ratings.
The release notes list fixes for a Vulkan rendering issue that limited some systems to 20 fps, pets teleporting to incorrect Nether portal coordinates, Friends-menu visual problems, and a crash involving custom Superflat presets containing air. They also include additional UI, controls, mushroom-generation and reporting-related fixes. See the official release notes for the complete bug-ID list.
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