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The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has arrived — and it brings with it the first new weapon added to the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also introduces a host of fresh elements and updates focused on riding animals in the game. That central theme made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the development team had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we desired a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," stated a senior product manager. "We tried out a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the use case."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can charge at your companions on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action perfectly suited for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary applications for the spear, and it's so much fun," the lead adds. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you lower your spear and get increased harm [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] ideal for equipping the wings and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she suggests.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now a reality, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is modeled after the seashells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and ridden for submarine exploration. Not only will it transport you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also maintain your breath meter, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for oxygen.

The remaining new features are mostly things that want to kill you, as is the way of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus appearing in the water, sometimes with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in dispatch the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've been thinking about this challenge periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the lead elaborates. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a several proposals for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus design sketches looked striking, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also points out that there are actually a pair of variants of undead nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you encounter underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the Parched, desert-exclusive skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you venture in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an notable look that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some highly requested tweaks to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while mounted on a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now available at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the ultimate protection it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

Overall, the final game drop of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have felt like a major improvement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

The Mayhem Mounts content drop is available for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.