Minecraft 26.4 Winter Drop: Every New Feature From Snapshots 1-8

Minecraft's next game drop is all about the cold. Across eight Java snapshots, Mojang has added a frozen cave biome, a new ice zombie, a freezing effect, new ice and snow building blocks, and a long list of smaller upgrades.

Because features arrived week by week, it is easy to lose track of what is in 26.4. This hub lists every major addition from Snapshot 1 to Snapshot 8 in one place, based on Mojang's official patch notes.

We will update this list when new snapshots or release candidates arrive.

Minecraft 26.4 Snapshot Timeline

Here is what each snapshot added, in order.

Source: Mojang, Minecraft Java Edition 26.4 snapshot patch notes.

Ice Caves, Frostbite and Freezing

The centerpiece of the drop is the Ice Caves biome. It generates under colder Overworld biomes and is made mainly of Packed Ice and Calcite, with hanging Icicles, large Packed Ice icicles, Ice Crystals that emit light, patches of snow, and ore pockets in stone and deepslate.

The new hostile mob is the Frostbite, a zombie variant that applies the new Freezing effect in melee and throws Ice Balls at range. Leather armor protects against freezing damage, and since Snapshot 7, being on fire counters the effect too.

Ice Balls can be brewed into Potions of Freezing, and a Lingering Potion of Freezing surrounded by eight Arrows makes Arrows of Freezing. Snapshot 8 made every undead mob immune to Freezing and reduced Ice Ball damage.

New Ice, Snow and Calcite Blocks

Brittle Ice (Snapshot 4) cracks and breaks when players or mobs stand on it. It generates in Ice Cave crevasses, can be collected with Silk Touch, and forms when water flows next to Blue Ice.

Packed Ice Bricks (Snapshot 5) are crafted from 2x2 Packed Ice and come with a Slab, Stair, Wall and Chiseled variant, all available in the Stonecutter.

Snow Bricks (Snapshot 6) are crafted from 2x2 Snow Blocks with Slab, Stair and Wall variants. They cannot be made in a Stonecutter and only drop themselves when mined with a shovel.

Calcite (Snapshot 7) becomes a full set: Calcite Pillars, Slabs, Stairs and Walls, plus Polished Calcite and Polished Calcite Bricks, all craftable in a Stonecutter. Snapshot 7 also teased a new decorative block hidden "somewhere" in the game.

Jukebox Playlists, Sulfur Cubes and Other Changes

Jukebox Playlists let a Jukebox play discs from a chest placed directly on top, in slot order and on loop. The new "Flurry" disc by Hyper Potions can be found in Igloo basement chests.

The Cold Sulfur Cube is a new Sulfur Cube archetype created when a cube absorbs Blue Ice. It turns water beneath it into Frosted Ice as it moves. Since Snapshot 8 it no longer floats.

On the technical side, Vulkan is the default graphics API, the game now sets Java memory automatically using up to 25 percent of system RAM with a 4 GB cap, the F3 screen has been redesigned, and the Friends list and Social Interactions screens have been rebuilt. Strays now also spawn in six more cold biomes.

When Will Minecraft 26.4 Be Released?

Mojang has not announced a release date. In the Snapshot 7 notes, Mojang said those were the final gameplay features for the upcoming game drop, and Snapshot 8 focused on fixes. The next steps are usually pre-releases or release candidates before the full launch.

Until then, everything here is available only in Java Edition snapshots. Test them in a separate world, because snapshots can damage saves.

Conclusion

Minecraft 26.4 turns cold biomes into one of the game's most detailed areas, with a new cave, a new mob, a new effect and three building palettes.

With gameplay features finished, the next big news should be pre-releases and a release date. Bookmark this page for updates.