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The seasonal game drop for Minecraft has arrived — and it features the first new weapon introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is finally here and it has the potential to alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also introduces several new features and updates centered around animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the creators had already known it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we wanted a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we envisioned it for mounted combat," explained a senior product manager. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also looked good for the intended purpose."

If you're curious whether mounted combat means you can joust against your companions on horseback, the answer is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an combat move excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest functions for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead continues. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the quick stab, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you couch your lance and get greater injury [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for knightly combat."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The unruly pleasure doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently 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 strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she teases.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it needs to become an Olympic sport right away.

Another major addition in this new update is the underwater mount. This underwater creature, which is modeled after the nautilus shells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it move you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no need to return to the surface for fresh air.

The remaining new features are largely things that seek your demise, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a rotting sea creature appearing in the water, often with a Drowned on its back. If you succeed in take care of the Drowned, though, you can tame the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've pondered this challenge periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the ideal opportunity to also introduce something for the ocean depths," the lead elaborates. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for sea mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus design sketches looked compelling, 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: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the Parched, biome-specific undead archers that can endure the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an striking appearance that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a similar rib-popping design and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some long-overdue adjustments to equestrian travel. Now, you can ford bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, netherite horse armor is now available at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the best defense it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the year-end release of the year is a solid offering. The spear alone — and the potential for chaos — would have felt like a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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