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The winter content update for Minecraft has touched down — and it features the first new weapon introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is now available and it might just alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts drop also introduces a host of fresh elements and updates centered around riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the development team had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a new weapon that would add some more range, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," noted a lead developer. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the spear was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also made sense for the use case."

If you're asking yourself whether mounted combat means you can charge at your allies on steeds, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an offensive action perfectly suited for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a major use cases for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer 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 couch your lance and inflict more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] excellent for equipping the wings and taking to the skies and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it should be made an Olympic sport immediately.

Another key feature in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is based on the seashells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it carry you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no requirement to come up for air for fresh air.

The other inclusions are largely things that seek your demise, as is the nature of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a zombie Nautilus popping up in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to take care of the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've been thinking about this challenge periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the right time to also introduce something for the ocean depths," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a number of concepts for underwater mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus concept art looked striking, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also points out that there are actually a pair of variants of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you encounter underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific undead archers that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you find yourself in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an striking appearance that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a comparable exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some much-anticipated changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can ford waterways while atop a horse. Furthermore, netherite horse armor is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the best defense it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the year-end release of the year is a solid offering. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have felt like a significant enhancement. Add in the Nautilus, and new threats trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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