Minecraft Dungeons II went live on September 29, 2026 at 08:00 UTC, on schedule. The Standard Edition costs $29.99 and the Deluxe Edition costs $49.99, and the game is included with Game Pass from day one. It runs on Steam (Windows), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. Prices and specifications were checked on September 28, 2026, and everything in the post-launch section was checked on September 29.
The basics
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | Released September 29, 2026, 08:00 UTC (unlock times by region) |
| Genre | Action adventure RPG, dungeon crawler |
| Developers | Mojang Studios, Double Eleven |
| Publisher | Xbox Game Studios |
| Platforms | Steam (Windows), Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Price | $29.99 Standard, $49.99 Deluxe |
| Game Pass | Included at launch, no extra cost |
| Players | 1 to 4, online co-op and split screen |
| Languages | 17, with full audio in English, Japanese, French, German and others |
| Download size | 9.06 GB Windows and Xbox, 7 GB PS5, 4.3 GB Switch, 6.0 GB Switch 2 |
| Engine | Unreal Engine |
The download sizes above come from the Minecraft Wiki and the Nintendo eShop listings, checked on September 29, 2026. The 6.8 GB figure that appeared on the Nintendo store before release no longer matches what the storefronts show, so check the listing for your platform. Online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership on Switch, according to the Nintendo store listing. Xbox Play Anywhere covers console and PC, as stated in the Xbox Wire announcement.
You do not need the first game
The official FAQ says you can play Dungeons II without having played the first Minecraft Dungeons, though it adds that the sequel lands better if you have.
Dungeons II is not a building game. You collect weapons, armour and artifacts, and you fight through Minecraft themed areas such as the Overworld. There is no block placing, no redstone, and no survival crafting loop.
Editions and the pre-order bonus
| Contents | Standard | Deluxe |
|---|---|---|
| Base game | Yes | Yes |
| Soul cape | No | Yes |
| Blub pet | No | Yes |
| Hero skins | No | 4 |
| DLC 1 and 2 | No | Included as they release |
| Price | $29.99 | $49.99 |
The pre-order bonus applies to both editions. It contains the Twisted cape, the Twisted Chicken pet, and two hero skins.
The story and the villains
The enemies are the Illager High Council, three illagers leading the attack: the Prime Enchanter, the Grand Illusioner, and the Supreme Evoker.
According to the official article from September 14, 2026, rifts have been appearing across the Overworld for months. Around them, mobs become infused with strange energies and sculk spreads across large stretches of terrain. The three operate from the Sift, sending soul corrupted forces into more than one world.
The first game ended with the defeat of the Arch-Illager. Dungeons II is set in that world afterwards.
Who the three are and how the story ends is in the Illager High Council and the ending. The Sift is covered in What is the Sift?, and the ancient city gate and the warden in the ancient city portal and the singing warden. All three contain spoilers.
What actually changed, system by system
Mojang published a breakdown of the systems on August 31, 2026. This section follows that article.
From a mission table to one connected world
In the first game you picked a mission from a table in the camp, and each mission was a self-contained level with a start and an end. Dungeons II drops you into large connected regions that hold narrative events, settlements, structures, fast-travel hubs and other points of interest.
Some places, such as caves and forgotten ruins, are laid out differently each time you visit. You navigate with a world map, and you can teleport to a nearby friend.
Main quests and side quests
Quests come in two kinds. The examples Mojang gives are tracking down a beekeeper’s missing bees, and pursuing the mysterious Twisted Warden. Rewards include experience and gear.
More ways to play together
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Couch co-op | Several players on one machine |
| Online | Cross-play between platforms |
| Mixed co-op | Two or more players on one machine plus others online |
| Matchmaking | New. Drop into a session from players looking for a party |
| Party codes | Share a code to join a specific game |
A party holds four. The whole campaign also works solo.
Combat slots go from 6 to 12
Armour is no longer one item. You equip a helmet, chestplate, leggings and boots separately, so stats can be mixed instead of arriving as a set.
Talismans are a new equipment category that grants passive bonuses. Items can also roll random effects, so two copies of the same piece can play differently.
Projectile weapons now have unlimited ammunition that recharges over time.
You can jump
The first game gave you a dodge roll and nothing else. Dungeons II adds a jump. It helps with exploration, and striking from above adds momentum to an attack.
Enchanting was rebuilt around a library
Enchantment books you find go into a personal library. At an enchantsmith you apply any enchantment from that library to any gear slot. In the first game you picked from the options that happened to roll on a piece of loot.
Applied enchantments can be upgraded and levelled over time, so a build keeps improving instead of being rerolled.
Places and bosses
Before release, the location names captioned on official screenshots were Rainy Plains, Howling Woods, Little Howl Hamlet, Brave Haven and Frozen Highlands. The full list confirmed at launch is further down, under what is known now that the game is out.
Hands-on previews add that the game takes you into a Deep Dark style space, and that the Twisted Warden fight is built around all four players working together.
The largest addition is the new dimension, the Sift. Rifts open across the Overworld, and each rift leads into it.
What is confirmed now that the game is out
The launch happened on schedule at 08:00 UTC. The official news post “Minecraft Dungeons II is live” (September 29, 2026, by Per Landin) confirms the game is playable on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and the Steam store data has flipped from unreleased to released.
The day-one build is 1.1.1.0_50349472, which the Minecraft Wiki records as the first version available to the public.
We have not played the game. This section collects what the official posts, the Minecraft Wiki and published reviews say, all checked on September 29, 2026.
How the campaign is laid out
The story opens at Squid Coast. Illagers open a rift, the settlement burns, and you get the villagers out. Where they end up is Brave Haven, a large port village that becomes the hub. The Minecraft Wiki lists a blacksmith, an enchantsmith and a town merchant there, and it is where the party respawns after a wipe.
Brave Haven takes over the job the camp and the mission table shared in the first game.
The ten regions
The Minecraft Wiki location page lists seven Overworld regions and three in the Sift.
| Dimension | Region | Sub-areas |
|---|---|---|
| Overworld | Squid Coast | None |
| Overworld | Brave Haven | None |
| Overworld | Rainy Plains | Puddle Pond Village, The Supreme Evoker’s Tower |
| Overworld | Howling Woods | Deep Dark, Little Howl Hamlet, Woodcutter’s Outpost |
| Overworld | Honeycomb Fields | Honeycomb Farm |
| Overworld | Frozen Highlands | Frozen Fortress, Illager Fortress |
| Overworld | Spider Caves | None |
| The Sift | Lullaby Hills | None |
| The Sift | Singer’s Meadow | None |
| The Sift | The Carapace | Echo Den |
Little Howl Hamlet, which the pre-release coverage treated as a region, turns out to be a settlement inside Howling Woods.
How you reach the Sift
The front door to the Sift is the Deep Dark portal in the Ancient City. Putting the Minecraft Wiki entries in order, the route runs like this.
- Descend from Howling Woods into the Deep Dark on the quest Down Into The Deep Dark
- Work through the caves and the amethyst geode, then defeat the warden at the bottom of the abyss
- Open the gate below and defeat the Twisted Warden
- Free the trapped echo golem
- Collect the three note blocks scattered across the Overworld
- With all three in the note block machine standing in front of the portal, the echo golems play the melody and the portal ignites
One note block is the green one in The Supreme Evoker’s Tower, inside Rainy Plains. The other two locations are not documented on the wiki yet.
There is a second route in. The Grand Illusioner tears rifts open with their staff, and those rifts lead both ways. They are temporary, and the High Council uses them to drop troops into Overworld villages.
Sift tides
Xbox Wire mentioned shifting tides without explaining them. There are three, according to the Minecraft Wiki.
| Tide | Effect |
|---|---|
| Flow Tide | No effect |
| Thrive Tide | Faster soul regeneration and shorter artifact cooldowns |
| Endure Tide | Stronger mobs spawn, and passive soul regeneration stops |
Souls are the fuel for artifacts. Every hero who damaged a mob gets one soul when it dies, and you can hold 100 to start with. Sculk mobs, the warden and the Twisted Warden all drop a soul on each hit, and the Twisted Warden drops a large amount when it falls.
Eleven bosses and six minibosses
The bosses in story order with their attack patterns are in every Minecraft Dungeons II boss in order. Talismans and unique gear are listed in every talisman in Minecraft Dungeons II, and achievement unlock rates in Minecraft Dungeons II achievements.
The wiki’s boss list, checked October 4, 2026, names the Copper Monstrosity, the Monarch, the Monstrous Opus, Mosstrosity (a secret boss), the Prime Enchanter, the Redstone Monstrosity, the Sculk Monstrosity, the soul corrupted witch, the Storm Generator (post-game), the Supreme Evoker and the Twisted Warden. The minibosses are the Dartback, the enderman, the evoker, the Harmonizer, the warden and the witch. At launch the wiki also counted the Grand Illusioner and the Harmonizer as bosses, and has since reclassified them.
Difficulty can be lowered from the menu at any time
Game8’s review says the difficulty can be turned down from the settings menu whenever you like, and notes that some early boss fights are balanced around a group and are rough solo.
Separately there is a milestone system. Game Rant’s review, which scores the game 6/10, describes mob difficulty stepping up when you hit certain milestones rather than scaling smoothly. That replaces the mission-select threat slider from the first game. The wiki difficulty page has headings for the difficulty screen and for milestones but no text under them yet.
Soul Storms are the endgame
After the main story, Storm Generators start appearing in certain regions and spawn strong mobs. Destroy enough of them in one region and you get loot that is only available this way. The Minecraft Wiki calls this Soul Storms.
Reviews landed at 76
The Metacritic score is 76 from 26 critic reviews on Xbox Series X. The user score has not opened yet.
| Outlet | Score |
|---|---|
| The Outerhaven | 90 |
| MondoXbox | 85 |
| Game Informer | 7.25/10 |
| GamesRadar+ | 7/10 |
| Game Rant | 6/10 |
| IGN | 60 |
The split is about how much there is. Game Rant finished the campaign with some side content in about seven hours and found the endgame thin. IGN calls it a shallow ARPG. MondoXbox reads the same game as an expansion of the first one in every direction.
Launch day problems
These are the reports that several sources agree on. Mojang has not published an explanation for any of them as of September 29.
| Symptom | What is known |
|---|---|
| Will not start on SteamOS, Steam Deck or Linux | The build depends on Microsoft Gaming Services, which fails under Proton and leaves a black screen |
| “Missing gaming services” on Windows | The game does not launch when the Gaming Services install fails |
| Error codes 0064 and 0059 | Microsoft account sign-in fails. Launch day server load is the suspected cause |
On SteamOS, Mojang developer Marc Watson said he does not believe they have said anything about supporting that platform, and framed adding platforms as a deliberate decision rather than something done casually (GamingOnLinux, September 29, 2026). Treat the Steam version as Windows only.
Error code 0064 is covered by Sportskeeda on September 29. No cause has been confirmed, and the suggested steps are to wait for the login servers, retry the sign-in, and verify the Steam files.
For a symptom-by-symptom walkthrough see Minecraft Dungeons II will not launch, and for the control scheme see Minecraft Dungeons II has no WASD movement.
The Sift reaches Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027
According to Xbox Wire on September 26, 2026, the Sift appears first in Dungeons II and then arrives in Minecraft itself during 2027, free, for both Java and Bedrock Edition. It will be the first new dimension added to Minecraft in over 14 years.
What that article describes:
- New biomes called Meadows and Carapace
- New mobs, some that travel with you and some that hunt you
- Hazardous blocks that change how you move through an area
- Shifting tides inside the Sift that affect your character and the players around you
How you reach the Sift in Minecraft has not been announced. Mojang has not explained the entry conditions, and the article suggests playing Dungeons II as the way to learn more for now.
If you run a Minecraft server, a new dimension in 2027 means new chunks generated outside your current world border, and mods that will need updating before you can move. Back up the world before that update lands, and check whether the mods you depend on have a maintained branch.
Two capes that reach Minecraft itself
Playing both Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Dungeons II on the same Microsoft account grants the Hero Cape. It appears in Dungeons II and in Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition.
The conditions come from the footnote on the official page. Both games are required and are sold separately, playing through Game Pass qualifies, and you have to use the same Microsoft account with an internet connection. Delivery can take time, and Microsoft can remove items from accounts it judges to be abusing the promotion.
Every cape and how to earn it, including the two that reach Minecraft itself, is in every cape in Minecraft Dungeons II. Playing across platforms is covered in Minecraft Dungeons II crossplay.
PC system requirements
These are the requirements published on the Steam store page.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit (1703 or newer) or Windows 11 | Same |
| CPU | Core i3-8100 / Ryzen 3 2200G | Core i5-8400 / Ryzen 5 2600 |
| Memory | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | GTX 1050 / RX 560, 2 GB VRAM | GTX 1060 / RX 580, 6 GB VRAM |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
A mid-range PC from around 2017 clears the recommended tier. The GTX 1060 in that row launched in 2016. Dungeons II is lighter than Minecraft with a shader pack, and far lighter than a large modpack, so it should not be the part that decides which GPU you buy.
Windows is the only supported desktop OS. The Steam build does not run on SteamOS or Linux because it relies on Microsoft Game Services, which fails under Proton (GamingOnLinux, September 29, 2026). If you were planning to play on a Steam Deck, check that before you buy.
Do you need a server
There is no official way to host your own Dungeons II server. Online co-op runs through each platform’s online service, which means a Nintendo Switch Online membership on Switch.
This differs from Minecraft itself, where a persistent shared world usually means renting a VPS or paying for Realms. In Dungeons II one player hosts a session and friends join it.
The Steam store page lists shared and split screen co-op, so several people can play on one machine, and cross-platform multiplayer, so a Switch player can join a PS5 player.
FAQ
- Q. What time did Minecraft Dungeons II unlock?
- A. 08:00 UTC on September 29, 2026, which was 09:00 BST, 04:00 EDT and 17:00 in Japan. It went live on time on all five platforms.
- Q. Is it on Game Pass?
- A. Yes, from launch day at no extra cost, per Xbox Wire. Game Pass covers the Standard Edition content, not the Deluxe extras.
- Q. Is there a physical edition?
- A. Yes, on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. In Japan the Switch and Switch 2 boxed versions are dated September 30, a day after the digital release. The Deluxe Edition is digital only. Release dates vary by region, so check your local retailer.
- Q. How do you get to the Sift?
- A. Beat the Twisted Warden at the bottom of the Deep Dark, free the echo golem, and collect three note blocks from around the Overworld. Filling the note block machine in front of the Ancient City portal opens it (Minecraft Wiki, checked September 29, 2026).
- Q. How long is the campaign?
- A. Game Rant’s review puts it at about seven hours including some side content. Your own time will vary with how much you explore.
- Q. Does it run on Steam Deck or Linux?
- A. Not as of September 29, 2026. The build depends on Microsoft Gaming Services and Mojang has not committed to supporting those platforms (GamingOnLinux).
- Q. Is there anything to do after the credits?
- A. Soul Storms. Storm Generators appear in certain regions after the main story, and clearing enough of them in one region drops loot you cannot get otherwise (Minecraft Wiki).
- Q. Does progress carry over from the first game?
- A. Nothing carries over: saves, gear and levels all start fresh, and the Hero Cape is the only link. See does Minecraft Dungeons II carry over.
- Q. Can Switch and PC players play together?
- A. Yes. The Steam store page lists cross-platform multiplayer, and parties hold up to four players.
- Q. Are there classes?
- A. Previews report no class select screen. Health, damage and playstyle come from what you have equipped, so swapping gear changes how you fight.
- Q. Was there a pre-launch event?
- A. Yes. Battle for Tokyo ran from September 17, 2026 at the Tokyo Game Show, in Bedrock Edition, and through a YouTube effect, against a giant Blue Creeper summoned by the Illager High Council. It has finished.
- Q. Is there a tie-in book?
- A. Random House Worlds published the novel Minecraft Dungeons II: The Rift by Caleb Zane Huett on September 1, 2026.
- Q. Will the Sift be free in Minecraft?
- A. Xbox Wire describes it as coming to Minecraft Java and Bedrock in 2027 as part of the game, so owning Dungeons II is not required.
Dungeons II is a separate game from Minecraft, but the Sift connects them. We will keep tracking what the 2027 update means for people who run their own servers.
Launch timing, download sizes and the day-one login errors are covered in what time Minecraft Dungeons II unlocked.
日本語版: Minecraft Dungeons II(マイクラダンジョンズ2)の発売日・価格・対応機種
Sources checked on 2026-09-28: Minecraft official “About Dungeons II” page; Minecraft news posts “New gameplay systems in Minecraft Dungeons II” (2026-08-31), “Minecraft Dungeons II gameplay reveal & date announce” (2026-06-07) and “Minecraft Dungeons II - Battle for Tokyo” (2026-09-14); the Minecraft Dungeons II Steam store page (price, features, system requirements); Xbox Wire “Minecraft Dungeons II’s New Dimension Coming to Minecraft Java & Bedrock Edition” (2026-09-26); hands-on previews from PCGamesN (2026-09-16) and Famitsu (2026-09-27).
Sources checked on 2026-09-29: Minecraft news post “Minecraft Dungeons II is live”; the Steam appdetails and user review APIs (release status and review counts, taken at 09:44 UTC); the Nintendo eShop listings for Switch and Switch 2 (download sizes); Minecraft Wiki entries Minecraft Dungeons II, Dungeons II:Location, Dungeons II:The Sift, Dungeons II:Deep Dark Portal, Dungeons II:Note Block Machine, Dungeons II:Sift Tides, Dungeons II:Soul, Dungeons II:Soul Storms, Dungeons II:Boss, Dungeons II:Quest, Dungeons II:Difficulty, Dungeons II:Brave Haven and Dungeons II:1.1.1.0; Metacritic’s Minecraft Dungeons II page; reviews from Game Rant, GamesRadar+, Game Informer, IGN and Game8; GamingOnLinux “Minecraft Dungeons II doesn’t seem to run on SteamOS / Linux”; and Sportskeeda’s write-up of error code 0064.