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The winter game drop for Minecraft has touched down — and it brings with it the first new weapon added to the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also introduces a host of fresh elements and enhancements focused on animal mounts in the game. That driving concept made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the creators had long felt it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we aimed for a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," explained a lead developer. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the lance 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 tilt at your friends on horseback, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you couch your lance and deal more damage [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] ideal for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The chaotic fun can extend beyond there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] perfect for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she teases.

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

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, which is based on 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 quicker than swimming, it'll also conserve your oxygen levels, so there's no need to come up for air for a breath.

The rest of the additions are primarily things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a zombie 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 undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've pondered this challenge periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to also introduce something for aquatic environments," the lead explains. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for sea mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus concept art looked impressive, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also adds that there are actually a pair of variants of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the Parched, biome-specific skeletons that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you end up in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their ribs poking out. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some long-overdue tweaks to equestrian travel. Now, you can traverse waterways while mounted on a horse. Additionally, high-tier barding is now craftable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

In summary, the year-end release of the year is a pretty good one. The spear alone — and the potential for chaos — would have felt like a significant enhancement. 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 available for all major editions of Minecraft.