Minecraft Java 26.4 Snapshot 5

Mojang just dropped Snapshot 5 for 26.4. Here’s what’s new.

Minecraft 26.4 Snapshot 5 adds Packed Ice Bricks, crafted from 2×2 Packed Ice, with slab, stair, wall, and chiseled variants. Those shapes can also come from a Stonecutter.

It adds the Adventure advancement “What Goes Around Comes Around” for killing a Frostbite with an Ice Ball.

On Windows only, there is a new video option: Prefer DXGI Present. The official note says it is experimental, default off, and not all hardware supports it. With it on, they list possible improvements to IME support, variable refresh rate support, and faster alt-tab in fullscreen.

Mojang also says snapshots can corrupt a world. Use a separate folder. The Data Pack version is 125.0. The Resource Pack version is 100.2.

This snapshot sits on the winter drop that Snapshot 3 (6 October 2026) started: Ice Caves, Ice Crystals, Icicles, the Frostbite, Freezing, and Ice Balls. The full drop is not a release until Mojang ships it.

How to try the snapshot

Want to poke at the new ice blocks yourself? Open the Minecraft Launcher, go to Installations, turn on Snapshots, and make a new installation on the latest snapshot. Give it its own game directory so your main worlds stay safe, and don’t open a world you care about in it.

Most mods don’t run on snapshots, so if you play modded like I do, keep your modpack on its own installation. New to that? The Minecraft launcher guide shows how installations work.