The 26.2 Chaos Cubed release from June 16 is barely cold, and Mojang is already talking about the next step. Update 26.3 is set to hit the game in fall 2026, and its star is a new biome: the Dappled Forest. It was announced at Minecraft Live 2026 at TwitchCon in Rotterdam in May, so we've had time to chew on the details before anyone has actually placed a block.

Dappled Forest: Polish autumn in Minecraft

The Dappled Forest is a forest with an autumn look. Instead of lush green, you get warm shades of red and orange, exactly the kind of mood you associate with October in real life. If you build atmospheric bases or record videos, this biome does the job without any shader.

The core of the flora is poplar trees in three color variants. Mojang is also adding a full set of poplar wood, so planks, stairs, slabs, doors and the rest of the building family are there from day one. You won't end up with a nice block and nothing to build a proper wall out of it.

The Red Shrub that never changes color

The second plant is the Red Shrub. Here's a tidbit decorators will love: it keeps its color no matter where in the world you place it. Transplant it to another biome and it stays red, so it works as an accent anywhere, not just in the Dappled Forest.

Abandoned Camps: a new structure to loot

The new biome will feature Abandoned Camps. Agnes Larsson, who leads the project, deliberately didn't reveal what's in the loot. Instead, she encouraged players to check the contents themselves after release. It sounds like an invitation to explore, and also a clever way not to spoil the surprise months before launch.

Wool stairs and slabs finally arrive

Besides the biome, 26.3 brings something the community has been asking for years: wool stairs and slabs. It sounds mundane, but anyone who has ever tried to finish an interior in a soft, colorful material knows how badly these variants were missing. Sixteen wool colors times two new shapes is quite a palette for builders.

No new mobs, but a clear direction

No new mob was shown in the announcement. This time Mojang is betting on a biome, structures and building blocks rather than a new creature to fight. For some players that's a letdown, for others a relief, since they get a solid injection of materials without another threat lurking at night.

When we'll be playing 26.3

There's no specific release date yet, as Mojang is sticking to the general fall 2026 window. Given the pace of this year's game drops, there's a chance we'll learn it along with the first snapshots. As soon as Mojang shares more details, we'll update this article.

The information about the content of 26.3 comes from Beebom, based on the Minecraft Live 2026 presentation.