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The winter content update for Minecraft has arrived — and it features the initial fresh armament added to the title since the mace made its debut. The spear is finally here and it might just change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you enjoy mayhem.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts drop also adds a host of fresh elements and enhancements related to animal mounts in the game. That central theme made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the development team had already known it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a new weapon that would increase combat distance, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," stated a senior product manager. "We experimented with a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also made sense for the use case."

If you're wondering whether mounted combat means you can tilt at your companions on steeds, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead continues. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you lower your spear and inflict more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun 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 very late, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she hints.

In other words: Sky jousting is now real, and it should be made an Olympic sport right away.

Another major addition in this fresh content is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, 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 transport you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no need to come up for air for oxygen.

The other inclusions are largely things that want to kill you, as is the way of Minecraft. Naturally, 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 tame the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"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 bring in something for aquatic environments," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a several proposals for underwater mounts that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus concept art looked compelling, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

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

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the Parched, desert-exclusive undead archers that can withstand 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 fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an notable look that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some highly requested tweaks to equestrian travel. Now, you can traverse bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now craftable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the ultimate protection it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

In summary, the last content update of the year is a pretty good one. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have seemed like a considerable upgrade. Throw in the Nautilus, and new threats seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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