The long-standing tradition of holiday merchandise spoiling video game secrets has struck again, this time hitting Mojang’s sandbox titan. A recent product listing on the official Hallmark website has outed an unannounced character named “Blub,” potentially giving fans their first look at a creature intended for a future Minecraft update. The leak appeared in the form of a 2026 Keepsake Ornament, which is currently listed for $22.99 with a scheduled release date of October 10, 2026.
While the Hallmark listing uses a silhouette to mask the specific details of the character, the outline suggests a small creature with prominent ears and a distinct set of legs. This has immediately sparked speculation across community hubs like Reddit, where users are debating whether “Blub” is a new passive pet, a sentient utility block like a cauldron, or a specialized mob for an upcoming biome. Despite theories that the character might be tied to the rumored Minecraft Dungeons 2, early reports suggest Blub is more likely destined for the base game’s next major “drop.”
This leak coincides with a significant shift in how Mojang handles Minecraft development. The studio recently moved away from the “one big update per year” model, opting instead for smaller, more frequent content drops every three to four months. This new cadence is designed to keep the game’s ecosystem fresh without overwhelming the development team, and a surprise mob reveal through a retail partnership fits the faster pace of these modern content cycles. Historically, autumn was reserved for the community Mob Vote, but with that tradition retired as of 2024, Mojang is now taking full creative control over which entities join the roster.
While neither Mojang nor Microsoft has officially commented on the Hallmark leak, the timing of the ornament’s release suggests that Blub will be integrated into the game by the 2026 holiday season at the latest. For a game that has spent nearly two decades defining the sandbox genre, these smaller, leaked breadcrumbs have become a primary way for the veteran player base to track the title’s evolution between official announcements.
