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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 could very well revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates a host of fresh elements and enhancements related to animal mounts in the game. That central theme made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," noted a lead developer. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also looked good for the intended purpose."

If you're wondering whether fighting from a saddle means you can joust against your friends on horseback, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary use cases for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead adds. "The spear has two attacks: You have the jab attack, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and deal more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for knightly combat."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment can extend beyond there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

In other words: Sky jousting is now a reality, and it needs to become an Olympic sport without delay.

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the underwater mount. This underwater creature, which is modeled after the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and ridden for underwater travel. Not only will it move you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also maintain your air supply, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for oxygen.

The other inclusions are largely things that are out to get you, as is the nature of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a zombie Nautilus appearing in the water, sometimes 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 blowfish.

"We've long considered this challenge for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the right time to also bring in something for underwater," the lead elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for aquatic rides that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus concept art looked striking, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also notes that there are actually a pair of variants of undead nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you encounter underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific undead archers that can survive in the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you find yourself in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an notable look that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a similar rib-popping design and can sometimes be found at night with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some highly requested tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can ford bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the year-end release of the year is a pretty good one. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have seemed like a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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