The many Minecraft biomes are a massive part of what makes the game so enjoyable and diverse today. From the basic origins of just a handful of different biomes, there are now over 20 primary regions, and many more once you consider variations like deep oceans and windswept hills.
There are also loads more biomes being added to the game with each new Minecraft drop, with the Sulfur Caves and Dappled Forest being among the most recent announcements. Here, I’ve got everything you need to know about those and the existing major Minecraft biomes as of update 26.2.
New Minecraft biomes
Here, I’ll tell you about the latest biomes added to the game, that you can find in the current version. So, if you don’t yet know and would rather be surprised, skip this part! However, if you want to know more about the latest Minecraft biomes or how to find them, this section’s for you.
Sulfur Caves
The Sulfur Cave is the newest biome, added with the 26.2 update on June 16, 2026, and is perfect if you, like me, get a little tired of the same grey surroundings while mining. We may have Lush Caves and The Deep Dark to take our breath away, but there’s still plenty of room for something new, and that’s exactly what this is.
While it might look like it would fit better in the Nether, the Sulfur biome is so unique to the overworld that it’s going to look fantastic when you spot that first red or yellow block during a mining session. These are Cinnabar and Sulfur blocks, and each have an entire family of building blocks relating to them, which will make for some great new Minecraft house ideas.
While you’re taking in the sights, though, be careful where you step. Sulfur pools are bodies of water found within these caves, and the presence of Potent Sulfur beneath the water causes pockets of gas. Get too close to this gas, and you’ll find yourself feeling a little… funny. You’ll also be able to find a new friend or two in these Caves, with new Minecraft mob the Sulfur Cube.
Sulfur Caves can be found at any depth, and Sulfur pools even have a chance to be spotted above ground, indicating a Sulfur Cave beneath. Your best bet at finding one is simply to cave and mine, looking out for the biome’s signature yellow or red blocks.
Upcoming Minecraft biomes
This section tells you everything we know so far about any upcoming Minecraft biomes that are set to be added in future drops, so they may not be able to be experienced right now, or you might be able to try them out in Minecraft snapshots or Preview.
The Dappled Forest
Announced during Minecraft Live May 2026, the Dappled Forest is the next new biome to be added to the sandbox game – and this one is really exciting.
Not only does this cute biome add autumnal-colored leaves for the first time without mods, following in the footsteps of the pink-hued Cherry Grove and white-tinged Pale Forest, but it also adds the first new structure we’ve had in some time: the Abandoned Camp!
The colorful leaves come as part of new Poplar trees, which will add a new family of beige-grey wood blocks for building with. There’s also a new red bush variant, which maintains its color no matter where you place it.
The Abandoned Camp, meanwhile, is a small new structure that features a tent, some storage containers, and other handy loot, including a new place to spend the night. However, it’s not that safe so take care! Perhaps the most exciting part of the Abandoned Camp, though, is a new building block that players like me have been craving for some time: the wool stair!! White wool stairs will be found as part of the tent structures in camps, but this also means you will be able to turn any wool color into a stair block, which is great news for builders.
All Minecraft biomes
These are all the major Minecraft biomes, excluding variants:
- Plains (overworld)
- Forest (overworld)
- Meadow (overworld)
- Dark Forest (overworld)
- Cherry Grove (overworld)
- Pale Forest (overworld)
- Swamp (overworld)
- Mangrove Swamp (overworld)
- Taiga (overworld)
- Snowy Plains (overworld)
- Ice Spikes (overworld)
- Savanna (overworld)
- Badlands (overworld)
- Desert (overworld)
- Jungle (overworld)
- Mountains (overworld)
- Mushroom Fields (overworld)
- River (overworld)
- Ocean (overworld)
- The Deep Dark (cave)
- Lush Caves (cave)
- Dripstone Caves (cave)
- Nether Wastes (Nether)
- Crimson Forest (Nether)
- Warped Forest (Nether)
- Soul Sand Valley (Nether)
- Basalt Delta (Nether)
- The End (The End)
- End Islands (The End)
As I’ve mentioned above, there are plenty of variants. For example, Mountains isn’t actually a biome in itself any more, since it became Windswept Hills, but now can be used to refer to seven different biomes, including Jagged Peaks and Snowy Slopes. Water biomes, meanwhile, are split into warm, cold, hot, and other variants.
Each Minecraft biome has its own flora, fauna, blocks, and items that be found there, and some are rarer than others, so it’s useful to know what you’re looking for and how to spot it – or you can just explore and see what you find!
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