Mojang Studios remains the Minecraft developer under Microsoft, now led by CEO Maria Angelidou-Smith after Kayleen Walters moved to head the new Xbox division XP. The studio shipped Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29, 2026 and continues to test main-game updates through Java and Bedrock snapshots.
Mojang's year has been defined by the Minecraft Dungeons II launch and the merchandise, events, and corporate moves around it. The sequel arrived September 29, 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, with Game Pass availability at launch. Steam concurrent players reached nearly 19,000 within hours, against roughly 3,000 at the first game's Steam debut in 2020. A Game Spark review described easy entry controls paired with group-based enemy encounters and no difficulty setting, where defeat costs nothing and health potions refill over time.
The game's promotional reach extended to Tokyo Game Show, where Mojang held its first dedicated Minecraft booth and showed the new dimension The Sift in a four-player co-op demo. Game director Mans Olson and production director Nathan Rose described The Sift as a calm, fertile place entered through rifts, drawing on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind along with fungi and slime molds. Mojang said the sequel uses an interconnected world rather than an open-world structure. A FOSSIL Minecraft watch collection sold through TiCTAC included a Dungeons II model, and the Minecraft World theme park in London, scheduled for 2027, showed Escape the Nether coaster footage and announced an attached hotel.
On the main game, Mojang released the Wilderness Bound game drop on September 16, 2026 and continued snapshot testing through October with Jukebox playlists and Brittle Ice in version 26.4 Snapshot 4. Java Edition's system requirements changed on July 21, 2026, raising minimum memory from 2GB to 8GB and requiring a Vulkan 1.3-compatible GPU. In October, Microsoft created the XP division and named Kayleen Walters, previously head of Mojang, as its president, with Maria Angelidou-Smith becoming Mojang CEO.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/mojang.
CC BY 4.0.
The latest Minecraft snapshot, 26.4 Snapshot 4, reworks the Jukebox so players can build playlists by placing a chest on top of it. Records inside play in slot order, and when one finishes it returns to the chest and the next record plays. The snapshot also adds Brittle Ice, which cracks and collapses under a player or mob and generates in the Ice Cave biome. It is available in Java and Bedrock beta and preview versions.
Microsoft announced on October 8, 2026 the creation of XP, a new Xbox division. Its name comes from the gaming term "Experience Points." The division covers four areas: XBOX PICTURES for film and television adaptations, XBOX PRODUCTS for licensed merchandise, XBOX PLACES for live events, immersive experiences, attractions, broadcasting and theme parks, and XBOX PARTNERSHIPS for work with creators and brands. Kayleen Walters, previously head of Mojang, becomes president of XP. Before joining Xbox she worked at Lucasfilm for 13 years on Star Wars films, merchandise and partnerships, and at Xbox she grew the Minecraft merchandise business into a multi-billion-dollar operation with more than 250 licensees. Maria Angelidou-Smith becomes CEO of Mojang as Walters moves. Xbox CSO Matthew Ball announced the division on Xbox Wire, and CEO Asha Sharma said the division will help games grow into experiences beyond games. XP consolidates functions that had been spread across several teams inside Xbox.
A Game Spark review of Minecraft Dungeons II, released on September 29, 2026, reports that the action RPG keeps a simple interface while enemies attack in groups, so careless players die quickly even though there is no difficulty setting. Defeat costs nothing, health potions refill over time, and three base characters handle equipment upgrades: the town merchant, the enchantment smith, and the blacksmith.
Mojang Studios released Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The co-op hack-and-slash adds jump actions, Talismans, Enchantment Books, and equipment slots raised from 6 to 12. Steam concurrent players reached nearly 19,000 within hours of the 5 p.m. launch, against roughly 3,000 at the first game's Steam debut in 2020. The game is on Game Pass Premium and above and PC Game Pass.
At Minecraft LIVE - September 2026, Mojang Studios and Merlin Entertainments showed concept footage of ESCAPE THE NETHER, the roller coaster planned for the Minecraft World theme park in London. The park, announced in 2024, is scheduled to open in 2027. The attached Minecraft Hotel was also announced, with concept images of a Creeper exterior, a deep-sea diner, and a bedroom with Creeper and TNT pillows.
FOSSIL is selling a limited-edition Minecraft watch collection, carried by the watch shop TiCTAC as an authorized retailer. The collection released on September 1, 2026 and has three models: a Nether chronograph at 39,600 yen, an End chronograph at 36,300 yen, and a Dungeons II watch at 36,300 yen. The Dungeons II model follows Minecraft Dungeons II, released on September 29, 2026.
Mojang Studios brought Minecraft to Tokyo Game Show with its first dedicated booth, built around the action RPG Minecraft Dungeons II, which launched on September 29. The booth combined hands-on demos with a campaign called Battle for Tokyo, Tokyo-set footage, and participation routes through the main Minecraft game, YouTube, and social media. Mojang Head of Marketing Tabitha Hayes said the booth is a way of giving back to Japanese players and creators, whose builds, stories, and communities have shaped the game. She cited Minecraft's more than 425 million copies sold worldwide. Hayes said Japan's creative culture was an important source of inspiration for the art style of Minecraft Dungeons II, pointing to Japanese entertainment's imagination and visual storytelling. She framed Japan's culture around the linked acts of creating, watching, and playing, and said the campaign lets fans worldwide contribute to a shared goal. No future Japan activities were announced.
Mojang Studios showed the new dimension The Sift at a hands-on session for Minecraft Dungeons II held during Tokyo Game Show 2026. Game director Mans Olson and production director Nathan Rose attended and said the area draws on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind along with fungi and slime molds. The Sift is a calm, fertile place filled with souls, entered through rifts that open across the Overworld, and its colorful water deals continuous damage. The demo ran in four-player co-op with builds for fighter, bow, tank or support, and mage roles. Armor slots rose from one to four, and a new item called the Talisman grants passive buffs that level with the player. Mojang said the sequel uses an interconnected world rather than an open-world structure. Minecraft Dungeons II releases on September 29 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, and arrives on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
Microsoft has revealed the Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass lineup running from September 16 to October 6, 2026, a slate of 13 titles. Four arrive on day one: Kernel Hearts on September 17, Well Dweller on September 22, Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29, and Gears of War: E-Day on October 6. Rematch joins the Essential plan catalog on September 25.
Mojang Studios will release the Minecraft game drop Wilderness Bound on September 16, 2026 Japan Time, across Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android. The update adds the Dappled Forest biome, filled with Poplar Trees, plus structures such as the Abandoned Camp, new items including the Straw Bed and Cushion, and concrete and wool half slabs.
Minecraft's latest Java snapshot introduces concrete stairs and slabs in all 16 colors, plus maps in some abandoned camp chests that lead to new camps and structures. Both features are available in the Java snapshot, with Bedrock beta and preview support coming soon.
Mojang Studios updated the system requirements for Minecraft Java Edition on July 21, 2026, for the first time in roughly 17 years. The minimum memory requirement jumps from 2GB to 8GB (12GB for integrated GPUs), and the recommended memory rises to 16GB. The new minimum specs target 1080p at 30fps on the Performance preset, while recommended specs target 1080p at 60fps on the Fancy preset. The update also requires a Vulkan 1.3-compatible GPU, replacing the aging OpenGL graphics API. Mojang cited the game's growth over 17 years, expanded world sizes, new features, and the need to modernize internal technology as reasons for the change. The studio warned that systems below the new minimum may still launch the game for now, but performance is not guaranteed, and future Vulkan transitions could make the game unplayable on older hardware. The company also noted that the requirements remain relatively low compared to modern AAA titles and do not demand a high-end gaming PC.
Mojang released a new snapshot and preview for Minecraft on June 24, adding the Dappled Forest biome inspired by Michigan autumn colors. The update includes poplar trees with red, orange, and yellow leaves, wool stairs and slabs, and a new structure called the Abandoned Camp. All additions were previously shown at Minecraft Live in May 2026.
Mojang Studios broadcast MINECRAFT LIVE from TwitchCon on May 31, 2026, revealing the new Dappled Forest biome with autumn-colored Poplar Trees and an Abandoned Camp structure. The show also detailed Minecraft Dungeons II, including the Twisted Warden boss, a new Lego set, and confirmed the second film's title as A MINECRAFT MOVIE SQUARED with Kirsten Dunst cast as Alex.