Games Updated 17 June 2026 · 5 min read
The explosive sulfur cube is one of the most entertaining additions in the upcoming Chaos Cubed update, currently testing in the Minecraft 26.2 snapshots. Whether you are a redstone engineer building traps or you just want to blow things up in style, this guide walks through finding sulfur cubes, turning one explosive, and setting it off safely.
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What the explosive sulfur cube is
Sulfur cubes are passive, cube-shaped mobs that look like a cross between a slime and a living block. Feed one almost any full block and it absorbs it, taking on an archetype that changes how it behaves. Wood makes it bouncy, ice makes it slide, wool makes it float, magma makes it hot, and TNT makes it explosive. The explosive archetype is the one that turns a harmless cube into a rolling bomb.
Find sulfur cubes first
You cannot make an explosive cube without a sulfur cube to start with, and they only live in one place.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Biome | Sulfur Caves, a new underground biome. |
| How to find it | Dig down beneath a bubbling sulfur spring on the surface, or run /locate biome minecraft:sulfur_caves. |
| Light level | They spawn at light level 0. |
| Group size | In groups of two to four. |
| Sizes | Large cubes can absorb a full block; small cubes must grow first. |
How to make an explosive sulfur cube
Only a large sulfur cube can absorb a block. Once you have found one, the process is quick:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Stand near a large sulfur cube. |
| 2 | Place or drop a TNT block in its path, or interact with the cube while holding TNT. |
| 3 | The cube absorbs the TNT automatically and stops moving. |
| 4 | It now holds the explosive archetype and behaves like a slightly heavier, less bouncy ball. |
While it holds the TNT but is not yet primed, the cube is immune to most damage. Kick it and it rolls a short distance; hit it with a strong netherite tool and it launches several blocks instead.
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How to ignite it
An explosive sulfur cube can be set off the same ways as placed TNT, and then some:
| Ignition method | Notes |
|---|---|
| Flint and steel | Direct use by a player or a dispenser. |
| Fire charge | Thrown or dispensed at the cube. |
| Fire damage | Fire, lava, a flaming projectile, a campfire or a magma block; works even with Fire Resistance on the mob. |
| Redstone signal | Activates if the cube’s hitbox centre sits where placed TNT would be triggered. |
After priming, the cube detonates a few seconds later, around six seconds in current snapshots. If it is ignited by another explosion instead, the fuse is a random short time of under a second up to about three seconds. Once primed it cannot be damaged, bucketed or have its block sheared, and when it blows up it spawns no smaller cubes.
Tips and safety
Use explosive sulfur cubes for hidden base traps and defence systems, but keep them well away from your storage, farms and anything you care about. You can bucket a large cube to carry it somewhere safe before priming, since a Bucket of Sulfur Cube preserves the absorbed block. Just remember to transport it before you light the fuse, because an ignited cube cannot be picked back up.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you make an explosive sulfur cube in Minecraft?
Find a large sulfur cube in the Sulfur Caves biome, then place or drop a TNT block next to it. The cube absorbs the TNT, stops moving and takes on the explosive archetype.
Where do sulfur cubes spawn?
Sulfur cubes spawn only in the Sulfur Caves biome at light level 0, in groups of two to four. Find the biome by digging beneath a bubbling sulfur spring on the surface, or run /locate biome minecraft:sulfur_caves.
How do you ignite an explosive sulfur cube?
Once it has absorbed TNT, ignite it like normal TNT: flint and steel, a fire charge, any fire damage such as lava or a flaming arrow, or a redstone signal. It detonates a few seconds after priming.
What update added the explosive sulfur cube?
It arrived in the Java 26.2 snapshots, around snapshot 5, with matching Bedrock previews, as part of the upcoming Chaos Cubed update. It is still in development, so details can change.
Can you move an explosive sulfur cube?
You can bucket a large sulfur cube to move it, but once its TNT is ignited it cannot be damaged, bucketed or sheared, so transport it before you prime it.
