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The winter game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it brings with it the initial fresh armament introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it could very well revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also introduces several new features and enhancements related to riding animals in the game. That central theme made the spear the ideal addition 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 new weapon that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," noted 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 intended purpose."

If you're wondering whether mounted combat means you can tilt at your friends on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move ideally crafted for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary functions for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the thrust, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you lower your spear and get greater injury [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] ideal for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment isn't limited to there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the elytra and going out and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she suggests.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now a reality, and it needs to become an competitive event without delay.

Another significant inclusion in this latest drop is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the nautilus shells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and mounted for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also conserve your air supply, so there's no requirement to come up for air for fresh air.

The rest of the additions are primarily 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, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in take care of the Drowned, though, you can tame the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, 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 bring in something for aquatic environments," the lead elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus concept art looked impressive, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you discover underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the Parched, biome-specific undead archers that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their bones protruding. The applies equally to undead steeds, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be found at night with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some much-anticipated adjustments to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while riding a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now available at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the best defense it is worthy of.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the final game drop of the year is a pretty good one. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have seemed like a considerable upgrade. Throw in the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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