On October 27, Minecraft got a roundup of features prepared for the fourth, winter game drop of 2026. Mojang gathered everything that has made it into Java Edition snapshots and Bedrock Edition beta/preview builds so far: jukeboxes that play through entire playlists, Brittle Ice that cracks underfoot, underground crevasses leading into Ice Caves, and ambient ice block sounds along with a new, complete set of decorative Packed Ice bricks.

Jukebox with its own playlist

Since the 26U7-1 beta/preview update and the October 13 snapshot 26.4, players can build something like a mixtape right in the world. Just place a Chest on top of a Jukebox and fill it with Music Discs, and the device will automatically move on to the next track. As described in the official article on minecraft.net, this mechanic lets you get a "jukebox playlist," meaning continuous music playback without having to manually swap discs.

Brittle Ice and crevasses in Ice Caves

The same update introduces Brittle Ice blocks, which have to be crafted by adding water to blocks of blue Ice. In the world, they cover crevasses, narrow, frigid gaps leading deep into Ice Caves. The mechanic is fairly demanding for builders and adventurers alike: the ice doesn't break immediately, but after the first cracks appear it starts crumbling faster and faster until it finally shatters.

Mojang warns, however, that testing new mechanics carries risk for your worlds. "Testing versions can corrupt your world, so please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds," the article reads, meaning in practice that it's not a good idea to run snapshots or beta versions on your main save.

Ambient ice sounds and Packed Ice bricks

Another batch of changes, from October 20 (beta/preview 26U7-2), covers the audio and building side of things. Ice blocks got a new, ambient sound that only plays under specific conditions: the block has to be located in a Frozen Ocean or river, surrounded by other Ice blocks, above water, and below open space. It's a subtle but clearly noticeable detail for players building bases in frosty biomes.

Along with that comes a full set of decorative Packed Ice blocks: Bricks, Slabs, Stairs, Walls, and a chiseled variant. All of them keep the characteristic blue tint, so there's no mistaking them for regular Bricks. This is a real option for anyone building winter structures in the style of arctic castles or polar bases, without having to rely on plain Ice or Snow.

Part of a bigger winter drop

These features aren't the only elements being tested as part of the fourth drop of 2026. Earlier stages, from September 30 and October 6, already introduced Ice Caves, frostbite zombies, and ice crystals and icicles, and another batch of changes from October 20 added Snow Bricks and the mechanic for instantly freezing water with the Sulfur Cube. All of this testing fits into one cohesive package of winter additions that's gradually making its way to both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. You can check an overview of all the versions released so far in the site's versions and updates roundup.

How to test the new features

Snapshots are only available for Java Edition. To install them, open the Minecraft launcher, go to the "Installations" tab, and enable snapshots; you can download the latest version from the Minecraft Java Edition download page. Preview and beta versions for Bedrock Edition are enabled in the game settings; preview is available on Realms, Xbox, Windows 10/11, and iOS, while beta is available on Android through Google Play. You'll find the launcher and the list of Bedrock Edition versions on the Minecraft Bedrock Edition download page.

Mojang emphasizes that test versions can corrupt your world, so it's worth keeping them in a separate save folder or using a dedicated test world on Realms. Anyone with an active Realms subscription can create such a world for free to test alongside friends. Bugs can be reported at bugs.mojang.com, and feedback and suggestions can be sent through feedback.minecraft.net or on the game's official Discord.

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