Minecraft Dungeons II: The New Options Being Proven at gamescom 2026

At XBOX Games Showcase earlier this 12 months, we performed a Minecraft Dungeons II demo that took us to the hacking/slashing/looting/capturing coronary heart of this upcoming ARPG sequel – however right now at gamescom 2026, I received to play a brand new model that confirmed us far more of what’s going to encompass that core mechanical expertise.

In a 30 minute runthrough, I started my demo within the sport’s bucolic hub city, Brave Haven, taking within the sights, attending to grips with a few of the new choices I’ll have entry to, earlier than utilizing a minecart quick journey system to take me straight to a bruising boss combat – and sampling a few of the smaller adjustments alongside the best way.

Let me take you thru a few of the greatest new parts I discovered about right now:

Blacksmith and Enchantsmith

At the center of Brave Haven, you’ll discover two smiths – one acquainted, and the opposite a bit… much less so. The Blacksmith is easy sufficient, however I can instantly see how I’ll be utilizing it for the complete sport’s size.

Any piece of kit you personal may be opened up right here and, for a modest charge, upgraded to the best energy degree at present out there to you. It’s a easy resolution to a knotty downside in any sport constructed round loot – for those who’ve fallen in love with a selected sword, bow, or piece of armor, you gained’t be confronted with having to unequip it merely since you discovered one thing extra highly effective. The Blacksmith additionally solves one other challenge – possibly you’ve got a chunk of kit that appears nice, however its in-built buffs aren’t fairly proper on your construct. Here, you’ll be able to re-roll so as to add a model new buff instead, hopefully ending up with the right merchandise for you.

If the Blacksmith is a manner of tweaking and refining your tools, the Enchantsmith is the place you can also make these gadgets act in fully new methods. Along your journey, you’ll discover Enchant Books – gadgets that give you new methods so as to add results to your weapons. Bring them again to the Enchantsmith and, with a down fee of forex dropped by new Soul Corrupted enemies, you’ll be able to add these enchantments to your gadgets.

Even in a brief demo, and with a restricted variety of enchantments to take a look at, the chances for buildcraft listed here are immediately tantalizing. Looking over the record of choices, I noticed methods to extend how typically I may use a dodge roll means. But subsequent to that? An means to shoot arrows with each dodge roll. And what if I then added an enchantment so as to add a fireplace impact to all my arrows? In the area of a single menu, I’ve successfully created a whole new means synergy for my character.

Meeting the Copper Monstrosity

After I’d completed refining my construct (a particularly succesful ranged DPS character, with the power to drop bombs and buff themselves in a few helpful methods), I set off for a showdown. With a full Overworld map to journey throughout this time round, I took a minecart from Brave Haven to the cease nearest my vacation spot, however nonetheless contended with dozens of mobs who blocked my path.

It was an amazing reminder of how speedy and gratifying the fight in Dungeons II is feeling – each combat requires me to fireside my bow, end off enemies with the sword, and make a number of makes use of of my Artifacts (the gadgets that supply me further talents). But on the identical time, cooldowns are mercifully transient, which means I really feel like I’m consistently combating at full energy, fairly than merely spending my time turtling, ready for the following means to pop up once more. It feels odd to say a few Minecraft sport, however Dungeons II feels constructed round aggression, rewarding you for taking up enemies as relentlessly as you’ll be able to.

Once I reached my vacation spot (and getting ambushed by waves of more and more powerful enemies), I ultimately ascended a tower to fulfill the Copper Monstrosity, a model new boss being launched with this demo. A hulking mass of, you guessed it, copper, the Monstrosity initially introduced as a straight tank, with hefty punches that require cautious dodging (or, in my case, liberal swigs of well being potion). But rapidly it launched lightning AOE assaults, sending sparks crawling below my ft earlier than activating, and full-arena dashes that took me without warning.

It’s a single combat that reveals the range of fight, and an actual sense of problem – similar to the mobs, I felt inspired to utilize all my talents without delay, however now with a real sense of risk-reward, with the Monstrosity in a position to shave big sections of my well being off in seconds if I didn’t apply some thought to how I reacted. Dungeons II could also be an ARPG constructed for all expertise ranges – however that doesn’t imply it must be good about it on a regular basis…

Quality of Life Upgrades

Along my quick journey, I received to see a few of the smaller parts which might be including as much as make for a real sequel to the unique Dungeons. One small however essential change comes within the type of an onscreen stock choice – press up on the D-pad and also you’ll be taken to the default stock menu. But maintain that button and a miniature model of the menu will pop up onscreen, permitting for fast swaps. It’s an answer designed for sofa co-op gamers particularly – not will entire groups utilizing a single display screen want to attend for every particular person participant to type their gadgets, as all of them can convey up their very own mini-menu concurrently.

For those that wish to spend longer in these menus, although, there’s the surprisingly compelling “Effects and Enchantments” menu, which boils down each single impact out of your weapons, armor, and talismans right into a single record. If you’re going to get closely into buildcraft, this can be the place you spend a lot of time. It helps you to establish precisely how your gadgets are affecting your construct, which of them may have to be tweaked, and the place you may have the ability to enhance it.

As a lot as the large mechanical adjustments, it’s these sorts of little tweaks from the primary sport that present how Mojang is pushing this sequel a lot additional. By enhancing the expertise for sofa gamers or hardcore style fans alike, they’re delivering on the promise of being an ARPG not only for everybody, however for anybody.

Minecraft Dungeons II launches September 29 for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and can be included with Game Pass. Play it on each console and PC at no extra value with XBOX Play Anywhere. Also out there on Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.