Minecraft Dungeons II Review Scores: What Critics Are Saying on Launch Day

Minecraft Dungeons II launched on September 29, 2026, and the first wave of critic reviews is now in. Across more than two dozen outlets, the action-RPG sequel is landing as a clear improvement over the 2020 original, even as a handful of reviewers push back on how much has really changed under the hood. Here is what the scores say, what critics liked, what they did not, and whether it is worth jumping in on day one.

1. Minecraft Dungeons II Is Out Now

Developed by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios, Minecraft Dungeons II released on September 29 for Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and the Microsoft Store), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. The standard edition is priced at $29.99, with a $49.99 Digital Deluxe Edition that adds four hero skins, the Soul cape, the Blub pet, and two DLC packs. It is included at no extra cost with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one, and it supports Xbox Play Anywhere, so a single purchase covers both console and PC.

The sequel drops the original's mission-select structure in favor of large, interconnected regions spanning the Overworld and a brand-new dimension called the Sift, described by Mojang as an uncharted world full of unfamiliar landscapes and dangerous threats. Readers who want the full rundown of the setup can check our release date and story explainer for everything announced before launch.

2. The Review Scores So Far

As of launch day, Minecraft Dungeons II sits at a Metascore of 75 ("Generally Favorable") on Metacritic across 27 critic reviews, with 59% positive and 41% mixed notices and zero negative reviews. On OpenCritic, the game currently holds a "Mighty" rating with a score of 85 from 21 critics, and 86% of reviewers recommending it. Both aggregates will keep shifting over the next few days as more outlets publish, which is normal for a day-one roundup, but the early spread is consistently on the positive side of the scale.

Individual scores collected so far include Destructoid at 9/10, TheSixthAxis at 8/10, GamesRadar+ at 7/10, GameSpot at 7/10, and IGN at 6/10 — the low end of the range so far. That is a meaningfully better showing than the original Minecraft Dungeons, which launched in 2020 to a Metascore of 70.

3. What Critics Are Praising

The most consistent praise across reviews centers on two things: the loot and gear system, and co-op. Several critics specifically called out how rewarding it is to experiment with builds and enchantments, and how much better the game plays with a group. The Outerhaven Productions wrote that the game "is at its best with a friend," adding that its item system "makes experimenting with gear rewarding." The Nerd Stash echoed that sentiment, calling the combat and progression systems "engaging" and describing the sequel as "a huge step up" for the spin-off series.

Others focused on scope and ambition. CrazyGameCommunity.it described Minecraft Dungeons II as "the most comprehensive, ambitious, and entertaining spin-off in the Minecraft franchise," and AltChar's reviewer — who said they had avoided every prior Minecraft spin-off — credited the game's story and deeper gear systems with changing their mind. For a closer look at exactly how the loot, enchanting, and party systems work, see our breakdown of the game's co-op, gear, and enchanting systems.

4. Where Critics Have Reservations

Not every review is glowing. The most critical takes argue the sequel's foundation has not moved far enough from its predecessor. One outlet described it bluntly as "a shallow ARPG" that feels like "a skin slapped onto a generic Diablo-like," a fairly common complaint about the isometric dungeon-crawler genre when a sequel leans on familiar structure rather than reinventing it. IGN's review, currently the lowest score in the mix at 6/10, pointed to a "barebones story" and "skin-deep hack-and-slash combat" as the game's weak points, arguing that the moment-to-moment action does not carry enough variety on its own to justify a full sequel.

Read together, the criticism and the praise are not actually contradicting each other so much as describing the same game from different angles: reviewers who played mostly solo tended to notice repetition in the combat loop faster, while those who played in a group leaned into the co-op systems that most reviews single out as the highlight.

5. How It Compares to the Original

The jump from a 70 Metascore in 2020 to 75 today, plus an 85 on OpenCritic, points to a sequel that fixed some of the first game's biggest sticking points — mainly the flatness of its loot and the lack of reasons to keep playing after the campaign. The new Sift dimension gives the game a distinct visual identity outside the familiar Overworld biomes, and the four-player co-op options (couch, online, and mixed) are getting called out as more robust than before.

6. Should You Play It on Launch Day?

Because it is included with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass at no extra charge, the barrier to trying Minecraft Dungeons II on day one is close to zero for existing subscribers — you can install it today and judge the co-op loop for yourself. For everyone else, the $29.99 standard edition price and the generally favorable review spread make it a reasonable pickup, especially if you are planning to play with friends rather than solo, given how consistently co-op is cited as the game's strongest feature. If you preordered or are deciding between editions, the pre-order bonus guide covers exactly what the Twisted cape, Blub pet, and Deluxe Edition extras include.

7. What's Next for the Sift

The Sift is not staying confined to the spin-off. Mojang and Xbox have said the dimension is planned to be integrated into standard Minecraft — Java and Bedrock Edition — in 2027, which would mark the first new dimension added to the core game in well over a decade. Players who own both Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Dungeons II on the same Microsoft account also unlock a cosmetic cape usable in Dungeons II as well as in Java and Bedrock. It is worth remembering that the Sift's arrival in the base game was first previewed at Minecraft Live back in September — our recap of how the Sift was first revealed at Minecraft Live has more on what else was shown that day.

8. Watch the Official Gameplay Trailer

Mojang's official gameplay trailer shows off the Sift's biomes, new enemy types, and co-op combat in motion — a good preview if you are still deciding whether to install it today.

Quick Recap

• Minecraft Dungeons II launched September 29, 2026, on Xbox, PC, PS5, Switch, and Switch 2, at $29.99, included day one with Game Pass.
• Metacritic: 75 ("Generally Favorable") from 27 critics. OpenCritic: 85 ("Mighty") from 21 critics.
• Praise centers on the loot/gear system and co-op; criticism centers on story depth and combat variety.
• Scores are a clear step up from the original's 70 Metascore in 2020.
• The Sift dimension is planned to reach standard Minecraft (Java and Bedrock) in 2027.

Official Resources

• Minecraft Dungeons II official game page (Mojang Studios)
• Minecraft Dungeons II on Xbox.com
• Minecraft Dungeons II on Steam

For more on the wider Minecraft universe this fall, browse the rest of our walkthroughs and guides archive.