Our upcoming game drop just got the coolest name announce ever thanks to TwitchCon! I’m still shaking in my boots, but that could be because I am surrounded by ice. And icicles. They’re all very pretty, but I’m going to need a third cardigan if I’m going to venture forth into The Deep Freeze! Let’s prepare for all the snowy stunts we’re about to pull off by exploring all the cool new things coming to Minecraft!

Ice Caves

Deep down below the surface, brave and insulated adventurers can find the new ice caves! They’re filled with icicles that hang from packed ice blocks. Equally shiny and spiky, they pack quite the punch if they fall on you. But you’re safe as long as nobody knocks them down. Or warms them up. Good thing there’s no lava in the ice caves! Wait a minute. There is! How does that work? Let’s not dwell on it, there are more shiny things to look at! Like ice crystals that grow on top of packed ice! They light up the cold, cold dark with their soft glow and if you listen closely, you’ll hear their tinkling ambient sound. 

You see? The ice caves are the perfect stomping grounds for loads of frozen finds, and some fiends – but more on those later. And now that I mention it, we shouldn’t be stomping that hard. Or at all, because this area could be filled with brittle ice, which sometimes covers the new icy ravines known as crevasses. While brittle ice is just as cold as regular ice, it’s much more fragile. Don’t worry, you can easily identify it by the cracks that begin to form when you step on it. 

*Crack*

Yes, just like that! Fascinating.

*Crack, crack*

It keeps cracking until it breaks –

*Crack, crack, crack*

– and hopefully you’re not standing on top of it or you might just droOoooOooooooop!

*Thud* 

The Frostbite

The frostbite will send a chill down anyone’s spine, especially if they hit you in the back with an ice ball! This new frozen zombie variant lurks in the darker corners of the ice caves, so stay alert. They come equipped with a new projectile that looks like a snowball but will add a freezing effect if it hits you. Not only does it sting, it also slows down your movement considerably. The frostbites are quite slow themselves, but their baby counterparts are as quick as they are adorable! Naaw, look at that little baby frostbite! It’s so small. Wait. It’s getting bigger. No, it’s getting closer. RUN! 

Blocks & Brick Sets

The Deep Freeze doesn’t bring just one, but two full brick sets and a new set of blocks! That’s so many bricks. And blocks! And there’s even a very mysterious block. They haven’t told me much about it, except that it’s decorative and very hard to find. Maybe you’ve already found it? Can you tell me what it is? Please! I’m too busy building a frozen calculator to help me count how many* that is in total. But for the less mathematically inclined, we can focus on the details instead. 

First up is the snow brick set. Finally! The days of pretending your quartz bricks are cold are over. Now you can craft the snowiest of snow bricks and turn them into slabs, stairs, walls, and chiseled bricks. The main question is what to build first, as there are so many snowy structures to choose from. But before you start laying the foundation for your snow shack, take a look at the packed ice brick set! Made up of the same components, these bricks are a distinct blue! Gorgeous. They go so well with the snow bricks, but also on their own. Imagine all the blue builds, these bricks practically scream BRRRRRR!

Finally, we have another set to build with. Calcite! You’ve been waiting, I’ve been waiting, and the Overworld has been waiting for this full set – and we got more than we bargained for. There are two variants: regular, for a more rustic feel, or polished, for when you’re feeling fancy. Alongside stairs, walls, and slabs, you can build pillars and double slabs. The posh possibilities are endless! I’m going to try to combine all three for a cold castle. What about you? Don’t think too long, your winter wonderlands await! 

*My editor tells me 24, but my calculator says ERROR. It’s anybody’s guess, really. 

Jukebox Playlists & Music Discs

There are plenty of new sounds coming to Minecraft in The Deep Freeze, but all of them are natural. Ambient ones from the ice crystals, hostile ones from the frostbites, terrifying screams from this writer when falling down a crevasse. All that’s missing is something a bit groovier that can set the tone for all our icy adventures. Thankfully, Hyper Potions have come to the rescue with a newly composed track for a fresh music disc. Hunt it down in igloo basements and add it to your jukebox playlist. You heard me! The jukebox can now keep the party going without your constant attention. Forget the old school DJ ways of constant curation and stick a long list on! But you can still stand next to it and look cool if you want.

There you have it. The Deep Freeze! A furious and frozen new mob, exciting ice caves, loads of new bricks and blocks to build with, and endless adventures to be had. The cold is calling to me, so unless you have any more questions, I say we hit the slopes! You do? Speak up. Oh, why yes this is brittle ice! 

Oh nooooOOOOoooooo! 

*Thud*