🔗 Share this article

The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has landed — and it includes the first new weapon added to the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it might just change how you play Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

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

"We knew initially that we desired a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," noted a senior product manager. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the intended purpose."

If you're curious whether mounted combat means you can joust against your friends on steeds, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action ideally crafted for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary functions for the spear, and it's so much fun," the lead continues. "The spear has two attacks: You have the thrust, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you couch your lance and inflict more damage [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] perfect for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun can extend beyond there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] perfect for equipping the wings and flying forth and creating genuine chaos," she hints.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now real, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport right away.

Another major addition in this new update is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is inspired by the seashells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it carry you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no need to come up for air for oxygen.

The other inclusions are largely things that seek your demise, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus spawning in the water, sometimes with a Drowned on its back. If you succeed in take care of the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've been thinking about this issue periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the perfect moment to also unveil something for aquatic environments," the developer elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a number of concepts for sea mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus design sketches looked impressive, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also notes that there are actually a pair of variants of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive undead archers that can withstand the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you find yourself in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an striking appearance that sees their ribs poking out. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some much-anticipated tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can ford bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the ultimate protection it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

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 considerable upgrade. Throw in the Nautilus, and new threats seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

The Mounts of Mayhem content drop is out now for all major editions of Minecraft.