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The seasonal content update for Minecraft has touched down — and it includes the first new weapon introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it has the potential to change how you play Minecraft, especially if you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also incorporates a host of fresh elements and updates centered around animal mounts in the game. That central theme made the spear the perfect fit for this release, as the development team had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a new weapon that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," noted a senior product manager. "We experimented with a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both played wonderfully when we ran our trials and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your friends on horseback, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an attack excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary applications for the spear, and it's so much fun," the lead continues. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you lower your spear and inflict greater injury [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun can extend beyond there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for equipping the wings and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she teases.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now possible, and it needs to become an Olympic sport without delay.

Another key feature in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is based on the nautilus shells players have gathered 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 necessity to return to the surface for a breath.

The rest of the additions are largely things that seek your demise, as is the tradition of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, frequently with a zombie villager on its back. If you manage to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've pondered this issue on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to also unveil something for underwater," the lead elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a number of concepts for sea mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus design sketches looked compelling, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also notes that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, 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 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 rib-popping design and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some highly requested tweaks to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now available at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the best defense it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the last content update of the year is a solid offering. The spear on its own — and the pandemonium it invites — would have constituted a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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