Overview
Packed Ice Bricks arrive with slabs, stairs, walls and a chiseled variant, expanding frozen architecture options.
Players can unlock a Frostbite advancement, while mobs gain new projectile-based block-breaking behaviour.
The snapshot updates world generation, data packs, resource packs, networking and Windows graphics settings.
Mojang Studios released Minecraft: Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 5 on October 20, 2026, introducing new ice-themed building blocks, an advancement involving Frostbites, ambient ice sounds and several technical changes and bug fixes. It is a testing snapshot, not a stable release.
The most visible addition is Packed Ice Bricks, a new decorative block family for frozen builds. Players can craft Packed Ice Bricks from a 2×2 arrangement of Packed Ice, then use a Stonecutter to make Slabs, Stairs, Walls and Chiseled Packed Ice.
Advancement and Mob Changes
Snapshot 5 adds a new Adventure advancement called ‘What Goes Around Comes Around.’ Players earn it by killing a Frostbite with an Ice Ball. For builders, the variants make Packed Ice far more versatile: walls, staircases, floors and detailed ice architecture can now be built without relying only on full blocks. Mojang also notes that Packed Ice Bricks and Chiseled Packed Ice belong to the Fast Sliding Sulfur Cube archetype.
Mojang also changed how mobs interact with certain blocks. In Adventure mode, mobs can now break Decorated Pots, Chorus Flowers and Speleothem blocks using projectiles, unless the ‘mob_griefing’ gamerule is set to false.
Separately, a bug fix means zombies, husks, drowned, strays and frostbites are now affected by Poison and Regeneration. The update also fixes an issue where mobs with multiple entity-type tags for effect immunity respected only one of those tags.
Ice Sounds and World Generation
Regular Ice blocks can now emit ambient sounds. This occurs when an Ice block is surrounded by at least eight Ice blocks in all horizontal directions, has one Air block above it and one Water block below it; even then, it has only a chance to make a sound.
For explorers, the snapshot fixes several world-generation problems. Mojang also changed the ore and scattered_ore world-generation features: blocks discarded after air exposure will no longer fall through to the next replacement rule. The interpolated density function has been renamed to upscale, with new configuration options for sampling and upscaling terrain-generation functions.
Graphics and Technical Changes
The update introduces a new Windows-only video setting, 'Prefer DXGI Present.' It attempts to use DirectX to present the game and is experimental, off by default, and unsupported on all hardware.
When it works, Mojang says, 'Players may see improvements in IME support, Variable Refresh Rate support and faster alt-tabbing in fullscreen mode. Since it is experimental, players should not assume it will improve performance on every Windows PC.'
Technical players should note that the Data Pack version is now 125.0 and the Resource Pack version is now 100.2. The login protocol has also changed: servers must explicitly apply encryption and compression through connection-option packets, and clients must acknowledge those settings before subsequent packets use them. Data-pack creators will find that the sound field in Minecraft: Consumable is now fully optional.
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Major Bug Fixes
The snapshot fixes more than 30 reported issues. Notable fixes include:
Blocks broken by flowing fluids now produce particles and breaking sounds.
Creakings no longer try to attack players after they switch to Creative mode.
Paintings no longer break outside the world border.
Jukebox crashes involving hidden music-disc tooltips and negative playlist_position values have been fixed.
Mobs can no longer spawn on honey blocks.
Pointed dripstone beneath flowing lava now drips lava rather than water.
How to Test it Safely
Snapshots are available only for Minecraft: Java Edition. To install one, open the Minecraft Launcher, go to the Installations tab and enable snapshots.
Mojang warns that testing versions can corrupt worlds. Players should back up their saves or run the snapshot in a separate folder from their main worlds before testing.
What it Means for Players
For builders, Packed Ice Bricks are the standout addition, offering a practical new material for winter-themed projects. Explorers benefit from fixed village, ruined-portal and ice-cave generation, while technical players gain new tags, updated data-pack formats and an experimental DirectX-related graphics option. As with every snapshot, it is best treated as a preview rather than a finished update.
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FAQs
1. What is Minecraft 26.4 Snapshot 5?
It is a Java Edition testing snapshot released by Mojang on October 20, 2026. It introduces Packed Ice Bricks, gameplay changes, world-generation fixes and technical updates, but it is not a stable release.
2. What are Packed Ice Bricks?
Packed Ice Bricks are new decorative blocks crafted from a 2×2 grid of Packed Ice. Players can also create slabs, stairs, walls and Chiseled Packed Ice using a Stonecutter.
3. How do players get the new advancement?
Players unlock 'What Goes Around Comes Around' by killing a Frostbite using an Ice Ball. It is an Adventure advancement added specifically in Minecraft Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 5.
4. Are the DirectX graphics changes available to everyone?
No. The 'Prefer DXGI Present' setting is experimental, disabled by default and unsupported on all hardware. It may improve IME, Variable Refresh Rate support and fullscreen alt-tabbing on some Windows systems.
5. Should players back up worlds before testing?
Yes. Mojang warns that snapshots can corrupt worlds. Players should back up saves or use a separate installation folder before testing Minecraft Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 5.