Minecraft Holiday Drop 2026: Ice Caves, the Frostbite and How to Play It Now

Short answer: The last Minecraft game drop of 2026, which Mojang calls the Holiday Drop, adds ice caves, icicles, ice crystals and a frozen zombie called the Frostbite. There is no release date yet. You can already play it on Minecraft PE in beta 26.60.29 by turning on the "Drop 4 of 2026" experiment.

What is the Minecraft Holiday Drop?

Minecraft now gets several smaller updates a year, called game drops. In 2026 there were three so far: Tiny Takeover in March, Chaos Cubed in June and Wilderness Bound in September. The fourth and last one of the year is a winter update. Mojang first showed it at Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026, under the name "Holiday drop: Ice Caves". In the test versions it is called "Drop 4 of 2026".

"Holiday Drop" is a working name. Mojang usually announces the real name, like "Wilderness Bound", only a few weeks before release.

Everything in the Holiday Drop so far

This is the list from Mojang's test build, beta and Preview 26.60.29 (September 30, 2026):

Ice caves

A new cave biome that forms under cold Overworld biomes. It is made mostly of packed ice and calcite. Icicles hang from the ceiling, big packed-ice columns rise from the floor, and there are patches of snow. Ores sit in pockets of stone and deepslate, and there is no dirt, granite or glow lichen. Strays and Frostbites spawn here, along with the usual cave mobs.

Icicles

Icicles grow down from packed ice, like dripstone, up to 5 blocks long. They only grow in the dark and never in the Nether. If the light around them gets too bright, an icicle can fall and hurt whatever is below it. Landing on one hurts too. Near light or in the Nether they break, except for the top block.

Ice crystals

Ice crystals grow on top of packed ice and give off a soft light. They are the only light in an ice cave. They work like amethyst clusters: you can place them facing any direction, and they break if the block under them is removed. Mojang notes they are smaller than planned in this test build.

The Frostbite

The Frostbite is a new zombie variant that spawns in cold and icy biomes. Up close it hits you and gives you the Freezing effect. From further away it throws ice balls. It can walk on powder snow and never freezes. If it stays underwater long enough, it turns into a normal zombie. It drops rotten flesh and ice balls, and there are baby Frostbites too.

One detail to watch out for: zombies and husks that get stuck in powder snow turn into Frostbites.

Freezing effect, ice balls, Potion and Arrow of Freezing

• Freezing: you shake, jump lower and finally take damage, like standing in powder snow. Leather armor stops the damage but not the effect. Mobs with Freezing take more damage, and mobs that are weak to freezing take five times as much.
• Ice ball: what the Frostbite throws. It does 4 damage (less when slower), knocks you back and breaks when it hits.
• Potion of Freezing: brewed with ice balls, as a normal, splash or lingering potion.
• Arrow of Freezing: dip arrows in a cauldron filled with Potion of Freezing.

All of this is still being tested, so numbers and recipes can change before release.

How to play the Holiday Drop on Minecraft PE now

1. Back up your worlds. Mojang warns that test versions can damage worlds. Make a copy before you start.
2. Get the beta. On Android, the beta comes through Google Play: open the Minecraft page in the Play Store and join the beta there. On iPhone, Xbox, PlayStation and Windows it is called Minecraft Preview. You can also get the beta APK from our Minecraft PE 26.60.29 page.
3. Create a new world and open Experiments in its settings.
4. Turn on "Drop 4 of 2026" and create the world.
5. Go to a cold biome, like snowy slopes or a frozen peak, and dig down to find an ice cave.

Every new beta build is listed on our Minecraft PE beta page.

When does the Holiday Drop come out?

Mojang has not given a date. It has only said this is "the final game drop of 2026", so it should come before the end of the year.

Past releases give a rough idea, but this is our estimate, not Mojang's. In 2026 the features of each drop were first tested in a beta, then shipped in a full release about six weeks later. Last year's holiday drop, Mounts of Mayhem, came out on December 9, 2025. So December 2026 is a fair guess.

The version number isn't confirmed either. Bedrock 26.60, the next normal release, is being tested now, and the ice caves are in it only as an experiment. For the bigger picture, including The Sift in 2027, see our Minecraft 27.0 page.

Is the Holiday Drop on Java Edition?

It will come to Java too, since game drops arrive on both editions. As of early October 2026, though, Java snapshots don't have ice caves yet. On Bedrock you can try it today.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Frostbite in Minecraft?

A new zombie variant from the Holiday Drop. It lives in cold and icy biomes, hits with the Freezing effect and throws ice balls. Zombies and husks stuck in powder snow turn into Frostbites.

When is the Minecraft winter drop 2026 coming out?

Mojang hasn't given a date, only that it is the last game drop of 2026. Last year's holiday drop came out on December 9.

Are ice caves in Minecraft PE?

Yes, in the beta. Get Minecraft PE beta 26.60.29 or newer and turn on the "Drop 4 of 2026" experiment in a new world.

How do you make a Potion of Freezing?

Brew it with ice balls, which Frostbites drop. Dip arrows in a cauldron of Potion of Freezing to make Arrows of Freezing. The recipe can still change before release.

Can I use the Holiday Drop in my old world?

You can turn on the experiment in an existing world's settings, but it stays on for good, and new caves only form in parts of the world you haven't explored yet. Use a new world or a copy, because test versions can damage worlds.

Sources: Mojang's "Everything you can test from the upcoming game drop" and the Minecraft Preview 26.60.29 changelog (both September 30, 2026), and the Minecraft Live recap (September 26, 2026). We update this page when Mojang names and dates the drop.