Minecraft 26.3 reaches pre-release with the Dappled Forest biome

Mojang has released the first pre-release build of Minecraft 26.3 on Java Edition, a step PCGamesN described on September 3 as bringing the third game drop of 2026 into its final stretch. The outlet said that beyond a few technical changes from the earlier testing snapshots, the additions are as they appeared in testing.

The centerpiece is the Dappled Forest, a fall-themed biome that generates close to cold biomes and holds most of the update's new content. Poplar Trees grow there with red, yellow and orange leaf variants, and their saplings pick a color at random as they grow. Red Shrubs hold their hue when taken elsewhere and can be spread with bone meal. Shelf Mushrooms grow on Poplar Trees, including fallen ones, are as bouncy as a bed, and can be cooked into stews in the same way as the game's existing mushrooms.

The update also widens the building set:

• Concrete Stairs, Concrete Slabs, Wool Stairs and Wool Slabs, craftable in all 16 standard colors.
• Cushions, made from three Wool Slabs in a row, which let players sit down for the first time in the game's 17-year history.
• Poplar Boats, built from the new wood type.
• Straw Beds, crafted from Hay Bales, which offer a single use and do not reset a player's spawn point.

Abandoned Camps are the other significant addition. They generate across a wide range of biomes and adapt their appearance to the surrounding area, with barrels and chests nearby holding basic items, tools and materials. Those containers can also hold Explorer Maps, which may mark Abandoned Camps in other biomes or point toward Ancient Cities, Mineshafts, Desert Pyramids or Warm Ocean Ruins.

Alongside the pre-release, Mojang noted two changes in the latest Java snapshot: invite codes for Realms, and a render distance ceiling raised from 12 chunks to 25. PCGamesN cautioned that the higher setting is demanding on hardware. The Minecraft 26.3 pre-release 1 build can be selected for testing through the Minecraft launcher.