Snapshot 7 Adds Calcite Building Blocks and Flurry Disc

Mojang released Snapshot 7 on 3 November as the final batch of new gameplay features for the 26.4 winter update. According to SyntaxMine, this marks the end of feature development, with only polish and bug fixes remaining before the full release arrives in the coming weeks. The studio has not yet announced a specific launch date.

Calcite Gets a Full Building Palette

Calcite, previously a plain decorative block found around amethyst geodes, now has twelve variants across three distinct families. Endgame Tools reports that players can craft four calcite blocks in a 2×2 pattern to make polished calcite, then repeat the process to create polished calcite bricks. Each family includes slabs, stairs, walls, and pillars, giving builders substantial creative options. The stonecutter offers a shortcut: a single calcite block can be cut directly into any of the twelve variants, saving materials compared to the crafting table method.

Ice caves are the primary source for bulk calcite mining in the 26.4 snapshots. SyntaxMine notes that calcite now appears in bands throughout ice cave walls, making it far more abundant than before. The new blocks complement earlier snapshot additions—packed ice bricks from Snapshot 5 and snow bricks from Snapshot 6—creating three separate winter-themed building families.

New Music Disc and Hidden Block

The snapshot introduces Flurry, a new music disc by Hyper Potions lasting two minutes and thirty-four seconds. Endgame Tools confirms it appears in igloo basement chests with a thirty percent chance, stacked alongside the usual golden apple loot. A jukebox playing the disc sends a comparator signal of 7. Finding igloo basements requires locating an igloo first—only half contain basements, hidden beneath a trapdoor under the carpet.

Mojang also hid a new decorative block "somewhere" without revealing details. According to 3DMGame and SyntaxMine, the Minecraft Wiki identifies it as chiseled soulshale, depicting a singer and found exclusively in ancient city chests. However, SyntaxMine marks this information as provisional until Mojang officially confirms it. The block does not appear in the Creative inventory.

Keyboard Controls and Graphics Testing

Snapshot 7 introduces keyboard navigation for crafting tables, furnaces, chests, and other gameplay screens—a significant accessibility improvement. The narrator now reads aloud slot contents, item tooltips, slot purposes (such as armour or fuel), and position numbers. SyntaxMine notes that the Creative inventory and recipe book do not yet support this feature.

The Graphics API setting now randomly selects between OpenGL and Vulkan on each launch when left on Default. Mojang explained this decision to IGN: after weeks of defaulting to Vulkan, the OpenGL backend received minimal testing following major rendering changes. The studio wants feedback from both backends and plans to revert this behaviour in a future snapshot. Players seeking consistent performance should manually select their preferred graphics API rather than leaving it on Default.

What Players Are Saying

The community response centres on excitement for the calcite variants and speculation about the Sift dimension. Spanish-language creators like Pixel86 and ElRichMC emphasised that the hidden chiseled soulshale block hints at upcoming content, with viewers theorising it represents a Singer mob that might inhabit the new dimension. Some players expressed frustration that many additions are block variants rather than entirely new mechanics, though most welcomed the expanded building palette. Commenters on ElRichMC's video suggested elaborate activation methods for the Sift portal involving multiple music discs, though such ideas remain speculation. A few viewers noted appreciation for the accessibility improvements, whilst others simply celebrated more building blocks arriving in the game.

Testing the Snapshot

Players wishing to try Snapshot 7 should download it from our Java Edition download page. Always back up your world before testing snapshots, as development builds can cause save corruption. The Vulkan crash when resizing the game window remains a known issue, so fullscreen play is recommended if you encounter problems.