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The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has landed — and it brings with it the initial fresh armament introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is now available and it could very well change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates several new features and updates related to animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the creators had long felt it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a new weapon that would add some more range, and we envisioned it for fighting from atop a creature," stated a lead developer. "We tried out a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both played wonderfully when we tested our prototypes and also looked good for the use case."

If you're asking yourself whether mounted combat means you can joust against your friends on steeds, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an offensive action excellently designed 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 pair of offensive moves: You have the quick stab, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you couch your lance and get more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure can extend beyond there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

In other words: Sky jousting is now possible, and it deserves to be an competitive event without delay.

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and ridden for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also conserve your oxygen levels, so there's no necessity to come up for air for oxygen.

The rest of the additions are largely things that are out to get you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a zombie Nautilus spawning 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 spiky fish.

"We've pondered this problem on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the ideal opportunity to also introduce something for underwater," the developer explains. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a number of concepts for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus design sketches looked impressive, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also notes that there are actually two different types of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] add variety to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive undead archers that can endure the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you venture in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some much-anticipated changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can traverse bodies of water while riding a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now available at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the last content update of the year is a notable addition. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have constituted a considerable upgrade. Combine that with the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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