🔗 Share this article

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

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also introduces a host of fresh elements and updates related to animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the development team had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," noted a lead developer. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can joust against your allies on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an attack ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary functions for the spear, and it's a blast," the developer adds. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you couch your lance and inflict more damage [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment can extend beyond there, though. If you're far enough into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] ideal for strapping on the wings and going out and making some real mayhem," she teases.

In other words: Sky jousting is now a reality, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport right away.

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is based on the nautilus shells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and ridden for submarine exploration. Not only will it carry you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also conserve your breath meter, so there's no requirement to surface for a breath.

The other inclusions are largely things that want to kill you, as is the nature of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you are able to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've long considered this challenge for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the perfect moment to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the developer elaborates. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for aquatic rides that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus design sketches looked impressive, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually a pair of variants of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you discover underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive undead archers that can withstand the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are refinements, including some long-overdue changes to riding horses. Now, you can ford rivers and lakes while riding a horse. Additionally, netherite horse armor is now available at the workbench, so you can give your horse the best defense it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the last content update of the year is a pretty good one. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have felt like a significant enhancement. Add in the Nautilus, and new threats 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.