Mojang reveals Dappled Forest biome, titles sequel ‘Squared’

During the Minecraft Live broadcast at TwitchCon Europe on May 30, Mojang revealed the Dappled Forest biome and confirmed the title of the next film. A Minecraft Movie: Squared is scheduled to open in theaters on July 23, 2027. Mojang said the Dappled Forest will arrive as part of Minecraft’s third game drop of 2026, expected in the third quarter.

Mojang presented concept visuals showing warm orange tones and the remains of an abandoned campsite tucked among trees. The studio displayed new environmental assets, including brown-and-orange poplar trees and scattered red shrubs. Mojang said the biome will include its own points of interest and may contain abandoned settlements or hidden structures for players to explore.

The third game drop is slated to add wool stairs and is rumored to include a new bed type that does not reset a player’s spawn point. Mojang indicated plans for a fourth major update before the end of 2026 but did not provide a schedule or further details.

Earlier in 2026, the Tiny Takeover update introduced baby variants of multiple mobs and made name tags craftable. Mojang has shared early details for the upcoming Chaos Cubed update, which will add the Sulfur Caves biome, new block types, and a Sulfur Cube mob.

On the film side, Jared Hess returns as director for A Minecraft Movie: Squared. Hess and Chris Galletta are credited as co-writers of the screenplay. Kirsten Dunst is confirmed to play Alex and will join returning cast members from the first film.

Dappled Forest will join existing woodland biomes such as Oak Forests, Birch Forests, Jungles, Taiga, Pale Gardens and Bamboo Jungles. Mojang presented the new biome and the sequel title during the same broadcast.