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The seasonal content update for Minecraft has touched down — and it features the first new weapon added to the game since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is finally here and it could very well change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also introduces several new features and enhancements focused on animal mounts in the game. That driving concept made the spear the perfect fit for this release, as the development team had long felt it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we aimed for a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," noted a senior product manager. "We tried out 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 use case."

If you're wondering 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 combat move excellently designed for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a major use cases for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead says. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you lower your spear and deal increased harm [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] ideal for mounted duels."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're deep 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 elytra and taking to the skies and creating genuine chaos," she teases.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now real, 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 players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and ridden for underwater travel. Not only will it move you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for a breath.

The other inclusions are primarily things that are out to get you, as is the way of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a zombie Nautilus popping up in the water, sometimes with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've pondered this issue on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the right time to also bring in something for underwater," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for underwater mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked compelling, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also adds that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific undead archers that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you venture in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an excellent design that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some highly requested changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while mounted on a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the ultimate protection it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the final game drop of the year is a pretty good one. The spear by itself — and the potential for chaos — would have constituted a major improvement. Add in the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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