Introduction: what Minecraft 26.3 is and why it matters

Minecraft 26.3 is one of the most interesting testing cycles of 2026 because it concentrates new features focused on exploration, biomes and small world structures. Its main star is Dappled Forest, a new forest that introduces Poplar Trees, three-colored leaves, fallen trees, Shelf Mushrooms and Red Shrubs. But the new biome does not arrive alone: around it appears a whole set of systems related to Abandoned Camps, new building materials, furniture elements and tools to make expeditions more comfortable.

The first 26.3 snapshot presented the core of this content. Since then, Mojang has been expanding and refining the features across successive snapshots. That is why talking about Minecraft 26.3 only as “the Dappled Forest snapshot” would fall short. The cycle has also incorporated changes to structures, exploration maps, Wool Stairs and Wool Slabs, Cushions, Straw Beds, generation adjustments and technical improvements.

This guide brings together the main new features of the 26.3 cycle and explains what each one contributes. There is a fundamental distinction: 26.3 is a Java snapshot, so it should not be confused with a stable version. Part of the features have been tested in parallel on Bedrock through Preview and Beta, but the content may change before its definitive release.

Snapshot 10, published on 25 August 2026, still identifies 26.3 as a snapshot. It incorporated a new main-menu panorama based on Dappled Forest and Abandoned Camp, performance improvements when locating structures and a new Realms introduction screen. Therefore the cycle remains relevant even after several weeks of testing.

Dappled Forest: the star of 26.3

Dappled Forest is the new forest biome introduced with Minecraft 26.3. It can be found near cold biomes and is characterised by a distinctly autumn aesthetic that is very different from traditional forests.

Its main novelty is the Poplar Trees. These trees have three leaf-colour variants: red, orange and yellow. In addition, there are fallen Poplar Trees that form part of the landscape and help the forest look more natural.

Poplar leaves generate falling-leaf particles that match their colour. This adds movement and atmosphere to the biome and reinforces the feeling of walking through a forest in autumn.

Dappled Forest also introduces Red Shrubs and Shelf Mushrooms. The latter appear on Poplar Trees and on fallen trees, creating a direct relationship between the vegetation and the new tree type.

The biome’s fauna includes Sheep, Chicken, Cow, Pig, Rabbit and Fox, using the cold variants when appropriate. Therefore Dappled Forest does not create an entirely new fauna; it adapts the existing fauna to the environment of the new forest.

Another important characteristic is the presence of a biome-specific Abandoned Camp variant. This directly connects exploration of the forest with the new structures.

From a building point of view, Dappled Forest also provides a new wood set. Poplar Logs can be turned into a complete family of wood blocks, allowing the biome’s aesthetic to be taken anywhere in the world.

Poplar Trees and the new wood set

Poplar Trees are much more than a visual change. Their trunk is made of Poplar Logs and these logs can be turned into a complete wood set.

The three leaf variants —Red, Orange and Yellow— do not mean three independent wood types. The system uses Poplar as the wood family and the leaves change colour. Poplar Saplings obtained from the leaves can grow randomly into any of the three variants, making it possible to reproduce the multicoloured look of the forest.

Fallen trees are another important detail. Instead of creating a forest made only of vertical trees, Dappled Forest incorporates fallen trunks that make the landscape look less artificial.

Poplar Saplings can also be obtained through trades with the Wandering Trader. This allows the new species to be obtained without relying exclusively on finding Dappled Forest.

Poplar wood opens up building possibilities. You can use it to create autumn cabins, paths, exploration outposts, bridges, storage buildings or complete houses. In addition, by combining different leaf tones you can recreate the look of the forest far from its original biome.

The new wood family is one of the most useful parts of 26.3 for builders because it is not limited to decorating the biome: it allows its visual identity to be carried into any project.

Shelf Mushroom: a fungus with more uses than it seems

Shelf Mushroom is a new fungus variety associated with Poplar Trees. It can appear on Poplar Trees and on fallen trees, and exists in small and large sizes.

The small Shelf Mushroom can grow into a large one using Bone Meal. When a large Shelf Mushroom is broken, it drops two Shelf Mushroom items.

The item can be used like other mushrooms to prepare stews. This means it is not only decoration. It can also form part of the resource economy of a survival world.

Another peculiarity is that Shelf Mushrooms have a slight bouncing ability when a living entity steps on them, similar to beds. The game also includes a specific bounce sound.

Shelf Mushroom can be found in trades with the Wandering Trader. This possibility is interesting for players who want to move the new decoration to a base far from Dappled Forest.

Its presence on Poplar Trees also helps identify the biome from a distance. A player who finds trees with these fungal structures can suspect they are near the new region.

Red Shrub: new decorative vegetation

Red Shrub is a new decorative plant that appears in small patches of Dappled Forest. Its main function is to add an extra layer of colour to the landscape.

The plant can also be used in the Composter. This gives it additional utility in survival, although its greatest interest will probably be in decoration.

Applying Bone Meal to a Red Shrub can cause another Red Shrub to grow in an adjacent available space. In this way the player can expand a vegetation area and take it to their base.

Red Shrub is especially interesting together with the three tones of Poplar Leaves. Red, orange and yellow allow autumn compositions to be built without relying on traditional flowers.

The block also received custom sounds during the development cycle. Together with the new ambient sounds of Poplar leaves, it helps Dappled Forest have its own identity.

Abandoned Camps: the major new structure

Abandoned Camp is a new class of surface structure. Its concept revolves around a small camp that appears to have been used by previous explorers.

The structure can appear in a wide list of biomes: Meadow, Cherry Grove, Forest, Birch Forest, Old Growth Birch Forest, Flower Forest, Windswept Forest, Dappled Forest, Taiga, Snowy Taiga, Old Growth Spruce Taiga, Old Growth Pine Taiga, Sparse Jungle, Bamboo Jungle, Swamp, Savanna, Wooded Badlands and Pale Garden.

Each biome has its own camp variant, although some pieces are common to all of them. This allows the structure to keep a recognisable identity while integrating visually into the surroundings.

The camps contain chests and barrels with loot. During development the loot tables have been modified, so their contents should be considered version-dependent.

The structure has also evolved across the snapshots. Snapshot 6 added a camp variant for each compatible biome and made small adjustments. Later, Snapshot 7 incorporated exploration maps that can lead to other camps and to certain structures.

In Bedrock 26.40 the system was expanded with camps in Pale Garden and Flower Forest, Straw Beds inside the camps and procedural trees.

The importance of Abandoned Camp is not only in the loot. Its real potential lies in turning a normal exploration into a small story: you find an empty tent, a campfire, resting elements and clues about where to continue.

Explorer Maps and the new way to explore

One of the most interesting improvements of the later 26.3 tests was the arrival of maps related to Abandoned Camps.

The maps can lead to other camps in certain biomes. Documented destinations include Bamboo Jungle, Cherry Grove, Birch Forest, Dappled Forest, Flower Forest, Pale Garden, Swamp and Windswept Forest.

Maps to important structures such as Ancient City, Trial Chambers, Mineshaft, Desert Pyramid, Jungle Pyramid, Warm Ocean Ruins and Woodland Mansion can also appear.

This turns the Abandoned Camp into a starting point for chained expeditions. Instead of finding a structure and ending the search there, the player can receive a new direction and keep travelling.

For survival this mechanic is especially interesting because it offers natural objectives. A map can become the reason to cross an ocean, traverse a jungle or venture into a forest.

The loot tables related to the camps have received changes. In one of the test updates Firework Rockets were replaced by Gunpowder in certain camp contents. Potion names were also corrected.

The existence of maps makes opening the camp chests more important than simply looking for resources. A relatively small item can provide the next major objective of the adventure.

Cushion: interactive furniture arrives

Cushion is a new interactive seat that can be crafted in the 16 wool colours. The recipe uses three Wool Slabs of the same colour and produces a Cushion of the corresponding colour.

The Cushion is placed on a flat surface, has no collision and allows the player to sit by interacting with it. If the support block is removed, the Cushion breaks.

Its main value is atmospheric and social. Until now many builds had to simulate chairs with stairs, slabs or other blocks. The Cushion provides a dedicated interactive element for rest areas, camps, inns and multiplayer bases.

In Bedrock testing there was a known issue that prevented Cushions from generating correctly inside Abandoned Camps, although they could be crafted and found in the creative inventory. Later Previews corrected several related behaviours.

Straw Bed: sleep without changing the spawn point

Straw Bed is a single-use temporary bed crafted with three Hay Bales (producing four units). It allows the player to sleep through the night without setting a new spawn point and is destroyed after use.

This makes it ideal for expeditions: you can pass the night without permanently relocating your respawn point. It cannot be used in the Nether or The End.

In Bedrock 26.40 Straw Beds were added to Abandoned Camps, reinforcing the narrative of a temporary resting place left by previous explorers.

It does not replace a normal bed. The normal bed remains the permanent base item that sets the spawn point; the Straw Bed is a consumable tool for travel.

Wool Stairs and Wool Slabs: more building possibilities

Wool Stairs and Wool Slabs expand the wool block family to the 16 colours. They are used both for construction and as the crafting ingredients for Cushions (three Wool Slabs of the same colour).

Like regular wool, they dampen vibrations, which can be useful in combination with sculk sensors and other redstone mechanics.

These blocks give builders finer control over colour and shape when creating interiors, pathways and decorative elements that match the new autumn palette of Dappled Forest.

The sound and atmosphere system

Dappled Forest received custom ambient sounds for its leaves and vegetation. Falling-leaf particles and the bounce sound of Shelf Mushrooms further reinforce the biome’s identity.

Red Shrub also received personalised sounds. Together these audio details help the new forest feel distinct from existing woodland biomes.

Dappled Forest fauna

The biome uses the existing cold-variant fauna: Sheep, Chicken, Cow, Pig, Rabbit and Fox. This decision fits the design of the biome. Dappled Forest is presented as a new visual ecosystem without the need to create an entirely new set of mobs.

Foxes are especially appropriate for the forest aesthetic, while Rabbits and the farm animals make the biome viable for survival.

Mob generation can vary according to the normal Minecraft rules and the specific version. Therefore the list should be understood as the mobs associated with the biome during testing, not as a guarantee that they will appear continuously in every area.

Technical changes, performance and Realms

Although the focus of 26.3 is on playable content, the snapshots also incorporate numerous technical changes.

Snapshot 2 introduced a new solution for transparency in Java. The previous Improved Transparency approach was replaced by an order-independent transparency algorithm designed to better solve certain translucency problems.

Behaviours of persistent mobs when players are not nearby were also optimised. Their random movements can be disabled when no players are close, similar to non-persistent mobs.

Snapshot 9 added separate controls for render distance and simulation distance for Realms. Owners can increase the render distance up to 25 chunks.

Snapshot 10 also added a new Realms introduction screen and performance improvements when locating structures. It updated the main-menu panorama to show Dappled Forest with an Abandoned Camp.

These changes demonstrate that 26.3 is not only a package of new blocks: it also functions as a period of technical refinement before the final release.

Interface and entity changes

26.3 also includes interface adjustments and entity behaviour changes.

Snapshot 6 reorganised the World Options screen and moved its access inside the pause menu. Snapshot 10 changed the Adventure Mode icon in the game-mode selector to a Buried Treasure Map.

On macOS, Snapshot 9 added a Right Click Emulation option that allows Control + left-click to be treated as a right-click.

Regarding entities, Snapshot 9 modified the behaviour of Endermen when they are riding something, allowing them to take projectile damage under certain circumstances. It also prevented Endermen and Shulkers from teleporting onto Bedrock.

Snapshot 10 reverted recent changes to the behaviour and animations of Drowned.

These are independent of Dappled Forest, but they form part of the evolution of the 26.3 cycle and show that each snapshot can adjust features that are not directly related to the main new content.

Changes in generation, structures and loot

One of the important goals of the cycle is to improve exploration. Abandoned Camps have received multiple adjustments and recent versions have incorporated performance improvements when locating structures.

Snapshot 6 added a camp variant for each compatible biome. Bedrock later incorporated procedural trees and new variants.

In Snapshot 10 a problem was fixed in which a birch from an Abandoned Camp structure in Old Growth Birch Forest did not generate correctly.

Camp loot has also received adjustments. A later update replaced Firework Rockets with Gunpowder in certain contents and added items related to Cushions and Straw Beds in Bedrock.

These changes mean that seeds and coordinates must be checked with the same version. A generation modification can change the location of a structure.

Minecraft 26.3 in Java vs Bedrock

Java Edition and Bedrock Edition are receiving this content through different channels.

In Java the content forms part of the 26.3 snapshots. Snapshot 1 introduced Dappled Forest, Poplar, Shelf Mushroom, Red Shrub, Abandoned Camps and Wool Stairs and Slabs. Later snapshots added or adjusted Cushion, Straw Bed, maps, camp variants and other details.

In Bedrock the same set is being tested through Preview and Beta. Bedrock 26.40 identifies these features as Drop 3 Experimental Features and includes Dappled Forest, Abandoned Camps, Cushion, Straw Bed, Poplar and other elements.

There are differences in the schedule and in some implementation details. For example, Bedrock documented the addition of Straw Beds to Abandoned Camps and later corrected the generation of Cushions inside those structures.

That is why a Java guide and a Bedrock guide should not be used interchangeably without indicating the version.

The best practice is always to note Java Snapshot 26.3 or the exact Bedrock Preview/Beta version when a mechanic may have changed.

Is Minecraft 26.3 available in the stable version?

No. Minecraft 26.3 is a Java snapshot cycle and represents content under development.

Snapshot 10, published on 25 August 2026, continues to identify the version as a snapshot and still incorporates changes and fixes.

On Bedrock the related features are found in Preview/Beta and inside experimental features.

This means that Dappled Forest, Abandoned Camp, Cushion, Straw Bed and other elements should be considered test content until a stable version officially incorporates them.

It also means that the features can change. Mojang has modified loot, generation, sounds, block behaviour, structure variants and technical aspects throughout the cycle.

For a player who wants to try them this is not a problem: snapshots and Preview are designed for experimentation and feedback. For a long-term survival world, however, it is advisable to use a stable version.

How to test all the 26.3 features

In Java Edition, open the Minecraft Launcher and enable snapshots from the Installations tab. Then create a new world using the corresponding snapshot.

It is not recommended to use your main world. Snapshots can modify generation and add incompatible changes.

To test Dappled Forest, explore near cold biomes. To test Abandoned Camp, travel through any of the compatible biomes. To test Cushion, craft Wool Slabs and create the seat. For Straw Bed, craft several units with Hay Bales.

If you want to test the maps, open the chests and barrels of the camps and check the loot.

On Bedrock, use a compatible Preview or Beta and activate the experimental features corresponding to the content.

A good strategy is to create a laboratory world. Note the version, the seed and the coordinates of each discovery. This way you can compare snapshots and detect changes.

Comparison table of the major new features

Frequently asked questions about Minecraft 26.3

What is Minecraft 26.3? It is a 2026 Java snapshot cycle that introduces and tests new features focused especially on exploration, Dappled Forest and Abandoned Camps.

What is the biggest new feature? Dappled Forest is one of the main stars, but the cycle also introduces Abandoned Camps, Cushions, Straw Beds, Wool Stairs and Wool Slabs, exploration maps and numerous improvements.

What is Dappled Forest? It is a new forest that appears near cold biomes and contains Poplar Trees, red, orange and yellow leaves, Shelf Mushrooms and Red Shrubs.

What trees appear? Poplar Trees and fallen Poplar trees.

What mobs appear? Sheep, Chicken, Cow, Pig, Rabbit and Fox, using cold variants when appropriate.

What is Abandoned Camp? A new surface structure with variants adapted to different biomes and chests and barrels with loot.

What is Cushion? An interactive seat available in 16 colours.

What is Straw Bed? A temporary bed that allows sleeping without changing the spawn and is destroyed after use.

Does the Straw Bed replace a normal bed? No. It is designed for expeditions, while the normal bed serves as a permanent element and sets the spawn point.

Are there maps in Abandoned Camps? Yes. Testing incorporated maps to other camps and to various structures.

Is it stable content? No. 26.3 remains a snapshot and the related Bedrock features continue in Preview/Beta.

Do seeds work the same in every version? No. Generation can change between snapshots, so seeds must be checked for the specific version.

Can I test it on Bedrock? Yes, using a compatible Preview/Beta and activating the corresponding experimental features.

In summary: all the new features you need to know

Minecraft 26.3 is a cycle far broader than a simple biome update. Dappled Forest is its most recognisable element, but around it a set of new features has been built that changes the way players explore, build and discover structures.

Dappled Forest brings Poplar Trees, three leaf colours, fallen trees, Shelf Mushrooms, Red Shrubs and fauna adapted to the environment. The new wood set allows the autumn aesthetic to be transferred to any construction.

Abandoned Camp introduces a new class of structure that can appear in numerous biomes and has variants adapted to each environment. Its chests and barrels can contain loot and, with the latest tests, maps that lead to other structures or camps.

Cushion and Straw Bed add small functions that can change the experience of an expedition. The Cushion turns furniture into something interactive, while the Straw Bed allows sleeping without changing the spawn and then disappears.

Wool Stairs and Wool Slabs expand building possibilities in the 16 wool colours and also form part of the Cushion recipe.

The cycle also incorporates technical changes, performance improvements when locating structures, Realms adjustments, interface changes and entity fixes.

The most important conclusion is that 26.3 is still under development. The features have changed several times since the first snapshot and may continue to do so before the definitive release.

For those who want to discover Minecraft before anyone else, it is an especially interesting cycle. For those who prefer stability, the best option is to wait for the final version.