Minecraft Dungeons releases 'Flames of the Nether' DLC with Ancient Hunts, new areas, and more
Minecraft Dungeons is a whole new game with this expansion.
What you need to know
- Minecraft Dungeons is a co-op focused ARPG that has received tons of content since its launch.
- The latest expansion is 'Flames of the Nether,' which is officially releasing right now on February 24, 2021.
- Flames of the Nether includes six new Nether-based levels, Ancient Hunt endgame missions, Apocalypse Plus changes, and so much more.
- Flames of the Nether and its massive free companion update are releasing now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Switch.
- The game is now Xbox Series S and X enhanced, with up to 120 FPS on Series X and 1440p on Series S.
Mojang Studios has devoted lots of attention to its ARPG spin-off of Minecraft by releasing update after update for Minecraft Dungeons. The latest update, and the fourth major expansion, is releasing right now: Flames of the Nether is finally here.
This massive expansion is easily the most significant release for Minecraft Dungeons yet and will add a vast amount of content for players of Mojang Studios' franchise-expanding title. Like with previous expansions, Flames of the Nether comes with two portions: a paid, premium DLC that adds a new realm to Minecraft Dungeons' map; and a free companion update that will add content available to all players.
You can check out the full changelog for Minecraft Dungeons' Flames of the Nether update. Minecraft Dungeons is also Optimized for Xbox Series X|S with this update.
The paid portion of Flames of the Nether for Minecraft Dungeons includes:
- Six new levels. Flames of the Nether is adding six all-new levels for players to explore, each modeled after a biome from the Nether Update
- New mobs and bosses. In every level, players will be able to run into hordes of mobs, new and old. Find several variants of piglins, hoglins, blaze, wither skeletons, ghast, and a mysterious new mega-boss
- New gear and uniques. Like with every expansion before it, Flames of the Nether adds new equipment for players to discover and use. Find chainsaw-like blades, massive bone clubs, piglin-themed armor, and more
- New cosmetic items. A smaller perk of the full Flames of the Nether experience is two new character skins for players, as well as a Baby Ghast cosmetic pet
- And more. Every Minecraft Dungeons area has unique secrets, sub-areas, and quirks that players can only discover by playing the levels themselves. With how insanely huge Flames of the Nether is, it'll inevitably hold much more
The free portion of Flames of the Nether for Minecraft Dungeons includes:
- Apocalypse Plus changes. Minecraft Dungeons' highest difficulty level is seeing massive changes with Flames of the Nether. The current 20 levels are being condensed down to 10, 15 further levels are being added, the game's maximum power level is being increased to around 250, and Apocalypse Plus is being balanced to be fairer to all players
- Ancient Hunts. The missing link for Minecraft Dungeons' endgame is finally here. Players can spend items and enchantment points to create procedurally-generated levels with near-endless replayability, new challenges and powerful Ancient mobs, and a chance at finding the most powerful gear in the game: Gilded gear
- Piglin Merchant. The latest vendor to be added to your Camp in Minecraft Dungeons is the Piglin Merchant. This vendor sells all kinds of goods and equipment, including chances to find rare Gilded gear, but it only deals in gold
- Gold. A second currency is joining emeralds with gold, which can be found by completing Flames of the Nether missions or Ancient Hunts. Take your gold to the Piglin Merchant to buy an assortment of excellent items
- New enchantments. More weapon and armor enchantments are joining the growing pool in Minecraft Dungeons, and there's a lot to look forward to here. Pet-lovers rejoice, as companion-specific enchantments are here in Flames of the Nether, as well as new damage-type enchantments
- And more. The Flames of the Nether's free update also includes other balancing changes for gear and enchantments, and some free cosmetic items for players like a new cape and pet
Flames of the Nether is gargantuan in size, whether or not you're paying for the DLC or just enjoying the incredible additions coming in the free update. If you want to learn more about the Flames of the Nether expansion and everything it's adding, be sure to check out our ultimate guide to Flames of the Nether for Minecraft Dungeons.
Flames of the Nether is starting to roll out throughout today, February 24, 2021. Flames of the Nether is available wherever Minecraft Dungeons is, meaning Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and even Xbox Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud).
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You can play Minecraft Dungeons and the free portion of Flames of the Nether with the base game, which is included in Xbox Game Pass. For the premium expansion, which includes the sizeable new area to explore, you can either purchase it separately or buy the Minecraft Dungeons Season Pass, which includes Howling Peaks, Flames of the Nether, and the next two expansions for Minecraft Dungeons. We also have a useful guide on which version of Minecraft Dungeons you should buy if you need some more advice.
Either way, make sure you're getting the most out of Minecraft Dungeons and playing with your friends by investing in one of the Best Headsets for Xbox Series X|S, which all ensure you have the best audio experience and never struggle to be heard.
The next era of Dungeons
Explore new worlds in Minecraft Dungeons.
It's been a busy first year for Minecraft Dungeons, and now the ARPG dungeon-crawling Minecraft spin-off is looking ahead towards its future, with four new expansions planned. Howling Peaks and Flames of the Nether are available right now, but players can grab the Season Pass to access them and the next two expansions.
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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.