Minecraft's third 2026 game drop reveals the new dappled forest biome

Mojang revealed the first details of Minecraft's third game drop of 2026 at Minecraft Live during TwitchCon, and the headline feature is a brand-new overworld biome called the dappled forest — an autumnal woodland that's already shaping up to be one of the cozier additions to the game in years.

The dappled forest is built around poplar trees with orange, yellow, and red leaves, dirt blocks covered in leaf litter, red shrubs, and brown mushrooms. Scattered between the trees are abandoned camps — small tent-like structures built from wool stairs, which are themselves a new block, alongside chests and barrels to loot. Breaking down poplar wood yields a warm grey plank and slab set, adding another option to the game's wood palette. Notably, there's no threatening mob attached to this biome — a deliberate contrast to the pale garden and its Creaking enemy added back in 2024.

The dappled forest is still in very early development and isn't available to test yet. Mojang says it'll hit testing "in summer", which should also bring more details on the rest of the drop's features.

The community is already pitching ideas for what else could fit the biome — raccoons seem to be a popular suggestion — though Mojang hasn't confirmed any new mobs for the update yet.