The Latest Mayhem Mounts Drop Brings Forth a Stunningly Wild New Spear to the Game

The seasonal content update for Minecraft has touched down — and it features the first new weapon added to the game since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is finally here and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts drop also introduces several new features and enhancements centered around riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the development team had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," explained a lead developer. "We prototyped a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also looked good for the use case."

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

"[Jousting on horses is a major applications for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer continues. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the quick stab, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you lower your spear and get greater injury [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 advanced sufficiently into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] perfect for strapping on the elytra and flying forth and making some real mayhem," she suggests.

In other words: Sky jousting is now real, and it should be made an competitive event immediately.

Another major addition in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is modeled after the nautilus shells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and ridden for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also maintain your air supply, so there's no need to surface for oxygen.

The other inclusions are largely things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you succeed in dispatch the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've been thinking about this challenge for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the perfect moment to also bring in something for underwater," the developer explains. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for aquatic rides that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked striking, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also points out that there are actually two different types of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[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 survive in the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you end up in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an excellent design that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a comparable exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some highly requested changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross waterways while riding a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now available at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the best defense it is worthy of.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the year-end release of the year is a pretty good one. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have seemed like a major improvement. Throw in the Nautilus, and additional creatures seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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