Quick answer: To earn the “What Goes Around Comes Around” Adventure advancement in Minecraft Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 5 or later builds that retain it, kill a Frostbite with an Ice Ball. The important detail is the final hit: damage it with a safer weapon if needed, but make sure the Ice Ball deals the killing blow. Frostbites can throw Ice Balls and may drop them, so surviving one encounter can give you the projectile you need for the next. Mojang’s Snapshot 5 notes confirm the advancement.
Version note — checked October 28, 2026: this is an upcoming Java 26.4 feature documented in snapshot notes, not a guarantee that the same advancement is present in every stable release or Bedrock build. Back up your world before opening it in a snapshot.
What does “What Goes Around Comes Around” require?
The condition is simple: kill a Frostbite using an Ice Ball. Mojang lists it as a new Adventure advancement in Snapshot 5. You do not need to kill the Frostbite with a sword, axe, bow, or other weapon; the Ice Ball must be responsible for the final hit. If you weaken the mob with another weapon and finish it with an Ice Ball, that is the practical route to aim for.
Because this is a combat objective, the challenge is less about finding a complicated crafting recipe and more about keeping one projectile for the finishing blow. Frostbites are hostile frozen zombie variants. They can attack at close range and throw Ice Balls from a distance, so take cover and plan the fight rather than rushing in with low health.
The easiest method: turn a Frostbite’s own weapon against it
- Prepare before you enter the cold. Bring food, a shield, armor, a reliable weapon for weakening the target, and open inventory space for Ice Balls.
- Find a Frostbite. Look in Ice Caves or appropriate cold areas in the test version. Spawn behavior can change between snapshots, so check the build notes if you cannot find one.
- Keep distance and use cover. Frostbites may throw Ice Balls. Avoid standing in a straight, exposed line for too long, and let the mob’s ranged attack create an opportunity to collect its projectile drop.
- Collect the Ice Balls it drops. Drop chances are not a guarantee, so you may need more than one encounter. Do not assume every Frostbite will drop one.
- Lower its health carefully. Use a controlled amount of damage, then stop attacking with your normal weapon while the Frostbite is still alive.
- Finish with the Ice Ball. Select the projectile, aim at the Frostbite, and throw. If it survives, repeat with another Ice Ball; if another source deals the final damage, the advancement condition may not be met.
How to land the final hit reliably
The most common mistake is doing too much damage with a sword and watching the Frostbite die before the Ice Ball connects. Use your main weapon only until the mob is weak, then create space. If you do not know its remaining health, stop one or two hits earlier than you think you need to and let the projectile decide the fight.
Ice Balls deal projectile damage that depends on their speed, so the outcome can vary with distance and motion. Throwing from very close range may not give you the same result as a moving projectile travelling farther. Do not rely on a precise number of throws without testing your own snapshot version; the advancement only cares that the Frostbite is killed by an Ice Ball.
Practical combat checklist
- Keep at least one Ice Ball in your hotbar before the finishing attempt.
- Fight in a space with room to back away; narrow ledges and crevasses add unnecessary risk.
- Use food and armor so you can survive a mistake while setting up the last hit.
- Stop using your sword or bow once the Frostbite is nearly defeated.
- Make sure the Ice Ball hits the Frostbite, not a wall, block, or another mob.
- If the advancement does not trigger, repeat the attempt and make the Ice Ball the clear killing blow.
Where to find Frostbites without wasting time
Frostbites are part of the upcoming ice-cave content for the 2026 winter drop. In the 26.4 development cycle, Mojang adjusted their spawning behavior: Snapshot 5 fixed an issue that allowed them to spawn in ordinary caves under cold biomes, so Ice Caves and the appropriate cold-biome surface are better places to search than random underground tunnels. Exact generation can change as snapshots evolve.
Travel with enough food and a way to get back to your base. Mark the entrance to the cave, avoid fighting beside deep drops, and do not throw away every Ice Ball you collect. The goal is a controlled finishing hit, not clearing the entire biome.
Why the advancement might not unlock
The sword delivered the killing blow
If your sword hit kills the Frostbite before the Ice Ball connects, the requirement is not satisfied. Weaken the target, stop melee attacks, then throw the projectile.
The Ice Ball missed or hit a block
Ice Balls break on impact with blocks or entities. Make sure the projectile has a clear line to the Frostbite. A short, open arena is easier than fighting around icicles or narrow cave corners.
You are using the wrong version or edition
The advancement is documented in Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 5. If you are in a stable release or a different edition, it may not be available in the same form. Check the version shown in the launcher and consult the official notes for your platform.
You cannot find Ice Balls
Frostbites use Ice Balls as ranged projectiles and may drop them when killed. A drop is not guaranteed. Try another Frostbite, and if you already have a projectile, save it for the final hit rather than using it casually.
What else changed in Snapshot 5?
The same Java snapshot introduced Packed Ice Bricks, with slab, stair, wall, and chiseled variants. Mojang says the variants can be made with a Stonecutter, which makes them convenient for winter builds. Snapshot 5 also added ambient sounds to regular Ice under a specific arrangement of surrounding ice, air above, and water below, plus a Windows-only experimental “Prefer DXGI Present” video setting.
These changes are useful context because the advancement is part of a broader ice-themed update, but they are not required to unlock it. For the exact list of changes, see the official Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 5 changelog. Snapshot 6 later added Snow Bricks and the Cold Sulfur Cube; it also updated translation support for the advancement. Read the Snapshot 6 notes for those follow-up changes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get “What Goes Around Comes Around”?
Kill a Frostbite with an Ice Ball in a Java 26.4 snapshot that includes the advancement. Make sure the Ice Ball delivers the final hit.
Can I damage a Frostbite with a sword first?
Yes. The practical approach is to weaken it with another weapon, then stop and use an Ice Ball for the killing blow.
Do Frostbites always drop Ice Balls?
No drop is guaranteed. Frostbites use Ice Balls as ranged attacks and may drop them when killed, so you may need to encounter more than one.
Where should I look for a Frostbite?
Try Ice Caves or the appropriate cold-biome surface in the 26.4 test version. Spawn behavior can change between snapshots.
Does this advancement work in Bedrock Edition?
The specific “What Goes Around Comes Around” advancement is listed in the Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 5 notes. Do not assume it exists identically in Bedrock without an official Bedrock changelog confirming it.
Why did the advancement not trigger when I threw an Ice Ball?
The Frostbite must die from the Ice Ball. If it survived, the projectile hit a block, or another attack dealt the final damage, try again with a weaker target and a clear line of sight.
Bottom line: The easiest route is to collect an Ice Ball from a Frostbite encounter, weaken another Frostbite without killing it, then throw the Ice Ball for the final hit. Keep distance, preserve one projectile, and verify you are playing a Java 26.4 snapshot that includes the advancement.