Next Minecraft update release date estimate

May 21, 2026: We last checked for more information on the next Minecraft update on May 21, and have ensured that our release date estimate is up to date.

Minecraft update 'drops' occur every three months, introducing smaller, more thematic changes to the game on a more regular basis than the annual overhauls of years past. The next Minecraft update in the pipeline is Chaos Cubed, and as its name suggests, it involves a lot of chaos, and more than a few cubes.

The current Minecraft update is Tiny Takeover; the update introduces baby mobs, name tags for your pets, and the golden dandelion that keeps your critters as babies forever. Minecraft snapshots are released weekly to test 1.26.2 before they come to the live version of the game. Here's what's coming in the near future, and when Minecraft 1.26.2's Chaos Cubed will arrive.

The Minecraft 1.26.2 update "Chaos Cubed" will most likely arrive on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, if the previous updates are anything to go by.

Since the move to drops instead of annual updates, Mojang has been sticking closely to a quarterly schedule, with Minecraft Live airing every six months to coincide with a new drop release.

Minecraft updates, patches, and snapshots rarely have a set launch time, but they usually occur on or around 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT. That said, there can also be some delays depending on your platform.

Minecraft 1.26.2 new features

1.26.2, officially titled Chaos Cubed, is going to give us even more reason to dig deep. A new cave biome - sulfur caves - is being added, giving us a new cavernous area to explore, as well as two new blocks, and a sulfur water block that makes the screen go all wibbly.

Along with this new biome, we're seeing the introduction of the newest Minecraft mob: the Sulfur Cube. This bouncy little thing has a unique feature in that it will absorb any nearby block, and take on unique properties based on whatever it was - if it absorbs an ice block, for instance, the sulfur cube will become almost frictionless, and will slide for long distances whenever struck.

The sulfur cube mobs open up a whole host of possibilities for other activities, with the Minecraft live video showing us various carnival games, using the sulfur cubes as curling stones and bouncing platforms for new angles of parkour.

Previous Minecraft drop dates

The dates of previous Minecraft drops are as follows:

• Tiny Takeover - Tuesday, March 25, 2026
• Mounts of Mayhem - Tuesday, December 9, 2025
• The Copper Age - Tuesday, September 30, 2025
• Lava Chicken - Monday, June 30, 2025
• Chase the Skies - Tuesday, June 17, 2025
• Spring to Life - Tuesday, March 25, 2025
• The Garden Awakens - Tuesday, December 3, 2024
• Bundles of Bravery - Tuesday, October 22, 2024
• Armored Paws - Tuesday, April 23, 2024
• Bats and Decorated Pots - Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Now that you're prepared for the Chaos Cubed, be sure to explore the most recent drop while you wait for the next Minecraft update to arrive. If you're looking for an altogether new experience in the survival game, check out some of the best Minecraft mods around.