Minecraft to get ice caves – Mojang shows frozen zombies and ice balls

Mojang has shared the first details on the next Minecraft game drop. Ice Caves, a rare underground extension of cold biomes, will headline the update.

Glowing crystals, a new hostile mob, and an extra potion arrive alongside them.

The reveal came during the Minecraft LIVE broadcast, where the developer traditionally lays out its near-term plans. Mojang recently moved away from one big annual update in favor of several smaller game drops throughout the year, and Ice Caves will land in one of them.

According to Mojang, the new caves add a whole new layer of variety to cold biomes, and richer surroundings make exploring underground more interesting. The developer also warned players that the new locations come with danger:

Though they may be beautiful, these caves are far from safe.

Ice crystals define the look of the caves. They can be placed both vertically and horizontally, which leaves plenty of room for decoration and building. The crystals also glow, so they work as a light source.

The main threat down there is the Frozen Zombie. In melee, the mob applies a stacking freezing effect, and if you take enough hits, you freeze completely. At range, it throws ice balls that deal damage and knock the target back.

Regular zombies turn into Frozen Zombies when exposed to powder snow. A similar mechanic already exists, since Husks convert into Zombies. The conversion chain now goes one step further, opening the door for advanced mob farms.

Frozen Zombies drop ice balls on death, which players can pick up and use themselves. The balls can also be crafted, and they have several uses:

• a throwable weapon that deals damage and knocks enemies back

• an ingredient for brewing a new potion that can freeze players

Mojang expects ice balls to add more tactical options in combat. The developer has not yet given an exact release date for the drop.