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The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has touched down — and it includes the first new weapon added to the game since the mace made its debut. The spear is finally here and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates several new features and updates focused on riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we wanted a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," noted a lead developer. "We experimented with a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can joust against your allies on steeds, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an offensive action perfectly suited for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's so much fun," the lead says. "The spear has two attacks: You have the quick stab, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and inflict greater injury [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The chaotic fun can extend beyond there, though. If you're far enough into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the elytra and going out and making some real mayhem," she teases.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now a reality, and it should be made an Olympic sport right away.

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the nautilus shells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it carry you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also maintain your air supply, so there's no necessity to surface for fresh air.

The other inclusions are largely things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to defeat the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've long considered this challenge on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also unveil something for aquatic environments," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, 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 found within the game."

She also notes that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the Parched, desert-exclusive skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an striking appearance that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some highly requested changes to riding horses. Now, you can ford waterways while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, netherite horse armor is now obtainable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the year-end release of the year is a pretty good one. The spear by itself — and the potential for chaos — would have felt like a considerable upgrade. Add in the Nautilus, and new threats trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

The Mounts of Mayhem content drop is live for all major editions of Minecraft.