Minecraft has had three dimensions for almost 15 years: the Overworld, the Nether and the End. That will change in 2027. At Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026, Mojang Studios announced The Sift, a new dimension coming to Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition.
This guide compares The Sift with the three existing dimensions. It covers how each one is reached, what lives there, what resources it has, and which rules are different. Information about The Sift is limited to what Mojang has confirmed so far, and this page will be updated as new details come out.
For everything else announced at the show, see our Minecraft Live September 2026 preview and coverage.
Minecraft dimensions compared at a glance
| Overworld | The Nether | The End | The Sift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Added to Java Edition | 2009 | October 30, 2010 (Alpha 1.2.0) | November 18, 2011 (1.0.0) | 2027 (planned) |
| How to get there | Starting dimension | Nether portal | End portal in a stronghold | Not yet confirmed |
| Main boss | None | None native (Wither summoned by players) | Ender Dragon | Not yet confirmed |
| Known mobs | Most mobs in the game | Piglins, ghasts, blazes, wither skeletons | Endermen, shulkers, Ender Dragon | Blue bunny-like mob |
| Signature resources | Most ores, including diamonds | Ancient debris (netherite), quartz | Elytra, shulker shells, chorus fruit | Not yet confirmed |
| Day and night cycle | Yes | No | No | Not yet confirmed |
| Weather | Yes | No | No | Not yet confirmed |
| Beds | Set spawn point | Explode | Explode | Not yet confirmed |
The Overworld
The Overworld is where every Minecraft world begins. It is the only dimension with a day and night cycle and weather. It has the most biomes, structures and mob types in the game, and the most ores.
Since the Caves & Cliffs update, the Overworld stretches 384 blocks from top to bottom, from Y level -64 to 320. Sleeping in a bed skips the night and sets your spawn point. Beds only work this way in the Overworld.
The Nether
The Nether was added in the Halloween Update (Java Alpha 1.2.0) on October 30, 2010. It is a hot, cave-like dimension with lava seas and a bedrock ceiling.
How to get there: Build a Nether portal frame from obsidian and light it with flint and steel. The smallest frame is 4 blocks wide and 5 blocks tall. It needs 10 obsidian if you leave the corners empty.
What is unique:
- Water evaporates as soon as it is placed.
- One block traveled in the Nether equals eight blocks in the Overworld, which makes it useful for fast travel.
- Respawn anchors set your spawn point here. Beds explode.
- It has five biomes: Nether Wastes, Soul Sand Valley, Crimson Forest, Warped Forest and Basalt Deltas.
Key resources: Ancient debris (used for netherite), Nether quartz, Nether gold ore, glowstone, blaze rods and Nether wart.
Structures: Nether fortresses, guarded by blazes and wither skeletons, and bastion remnants, guarded by piglin brutes. Wither skeleton skulls from fortresses are used to summon the Wither boss.
The End
The End was added when Minecraft reached its full 1.0 release on November 18, 2011. It is a dark dimension of floating End stone islands surrounded by the void.
How to get there: Use eyes of ender to find a stronghold, then fill all 12 frames of its End portal with eyes of ender.
What is unique:
- The Ender Dragon fight takes place on the central island.
- Defeating the dragon opens End gateways that lead to the outer islands.
- Beds and respawn anchors explode here.
- The outer islands contain End cities, which are guarded by shulkers.
Key resources: Elytra, shulker shells (used for shulker boxes), chorus fruit, dragon’s breath and the dragon egg.
The Sift: what Mojang has confirmed
The Sift was revealed at Minecraft Live in September 2026. Confirmed details are:
- It releases in Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition in 2027. No month has been given.
- It will be the fourth dimension in the game and the first new one in over 14 years.
- It appears first in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launches September 29, 2026. In that game, players reach it through rifts.
- It has named areas, the Meadow and the Carapace, in Minecraft Dungeons II.
- The broadcast showed a blue, bunny-like mob living there. The Minecraft Wiki lists it as the “blub,” but Mojang has not officially named it.
- Mojang describes it as a colorful place filled with souls.
Not yet confirmed: how players will enter The Sift in Minecraft, whether it has a boss, what resources it offers, whether it has weather or a day cycle, and whether beds work there.
Players can explore The Sift before 2027 in Minecraft Dungeons II. See the official Minecraft Dungeons II page or our Minecraft Dungeons II release date and platforms guide.
Minecraft dimensions timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Overworld appears in the first versions of Minecraft |
| 2010 | The Nether added in the Halloween Update |
| 2011 | The End added in the full 1.0 release |
| 2020 | The Nether Update adds four new Nether biomes and netherite |
| 2026 | The Sift revealed at Minecraft Live and released in Minecraft Dungeons II |
| 2027 | The Sift planned for Minecraft Java and Bedrock |
Mojang did plan other dimensions before. The Minecraft Wiki notes that a “Sky Dimension” was dropped, and its code was reused for the End.
Finding portals quickly in Minecraft
In a creative or test world, the /locate command finds Nether fortresses, bastions and strongholds right away. Our Minecraft commands guide explains how to use it. The same approach will likely help once The Sift shows up in snapshots.
For full details on each dimension, the Minecraft Wiki’s dimension page is kept up to date. Mojang’s summary of The Sift announcement is in the official Minecraft Live recap.
FAQs
How many dimensions are in Minecraft?
There are three: the Overworld, the Nether and the End. The Sift will make it four when it arrives in 2027.
What is the newest Minecraft dimension?
The End, added in 2011, is the newest dimension currently in the game. The Sift will replace it as the newest in 2027.
How do you get to The Sift in Minecraft?
Mojang has not confirmed this yet. In Minecraft Dungeons II, players enter The Sift through rifts.
Is The Sift harder than the Nether or the End?
It is too early to say. Mojang has not shared The Sift’s mobs, bosses or hazards in detail.
When was The Sift announced?
At Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026.
