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The winter game drop for the block-building phenomenon has landed — and it brings with it the initial fresh armament introduced into the game since the mace made its debut. The spear is finally here and it has the potential to alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts drop also incorporates a host of fresh elements and enhancements related to animal mounts 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 new weapon.

"We knew initially that we wanted a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we envisioned it for fighting from atop a creature," noted a senior product manager. "We tried out a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the use case."

If you're wondering whether mounted combat means you can joust against your allies on steeds, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary applications for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer adds. "The spear has two attacks: You have the quick stab, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you couch your lance and deal increased harm [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] ideal for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment isn't limited to there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for strapping on the elytra and going out and creating genuine chaos," she hints.

In other words: Sky jousting is now real, and it should be made an competitive event immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, which is modeled after the seashells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and ridden for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also conserve your breath meter, so there's no necessity to surface for a breath.

The rest of the additions are primarily things that are out to get you, as is the way of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in defeat the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've pondered this challenge for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the ideal opportunity to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for aquatic rides that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus design sketches looked impressive, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also points out that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive skeletons that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you venture in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an excellent design that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a analogous rib-popping design and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some much-anticipated adjustments to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross bodies of water while atop a horse. Additionally, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

Overall, the last content update of the year is a pretty good one. The spear by itself — and the potential for chaos — would have felt like a significant enhancement. Add in the Nautilus, and additional creatures seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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