The Sift is Minecraft’s fourth dimension, first announced at Minecraft Live in September 2026. It is playable today only in Minecraft Dungeons II, which launched on September 29, 2026. Vanilla Java Edition and Bedrock Edition will receive it in 2027, but Mojang has not revealed the entry method, portal recipe, or release month yet. No snapshots or preview builds exist for the base game.

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Minecraft Dungeons II: Current Official Methods

In Dungeons II, players start from the hub area Brave Haven and explore a connected Overworld. Two confirmed ways lead into The Sift.

  • Rifts: These temporary tears open across the Overworld after early story progress, often after the first couple of quests. They appear in random locations each session and are tied to the Grand Illusioner’s staff in the game’s lore. Walk into a rift to enter a short section of The Sift, fight through the area, then exit back to the Overworld. Rifts do not appear on a mission select menu; you discover them while exploring.
  • Deep Dark Portal (Note Block Machine): This is the permanent route unlocked through the main campaign. Progress through quests that involve recovering stolen note blocks (such as “The Missing Note Blocks”) and returning them (“Returning the Note Blocks”). You typically travel into the Deep Dark, face threats including the Twisted Warden, and activate the Note Block Machine at the ancient portal structure. Once powered, this portal reliably takes you into The Sift (starting in areas like the Meadows) for fuller exploration.

Rifts give quick, repeated access early on. The Deep Dark portal becomes the stable entry point later in the story and endgame. Both methods are part of the official game; no crafting recipe is required beyond story progression.

Vanilla Java and Bedrock: Not Available Yet

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Mojang confirmed The Sift will join the Overworld, Nether, and End in Java and Bedrock Edition during 2027. As of now, there is no way to enter it in a standard survival world. The studio has not announced how the portal will work, whether it ties to Ancient Cities or the Deep Dark, or when testing begins. Community mods exist that add Sift-inspired dimensions with their own portals, but these are unofficial and unrelated to the 2027 update.

For the authentic experience today, play Minecraft Dungeons II and follow the story until rifts appear or the Deep Dark portal opens. Keep an eye on official Minecraft channels for the vanilla release details next year.