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The winter game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the first new weapon added to the title since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is finally here and it might just alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts drop also incorporates a host of fresh elements and updates related to riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the development team had already known it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," stated a lead developer. "We prototyped a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the use case."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your friends on horseback, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an attack excellently designed for it.

"[Jousting on horses is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you couch your lance and get greater injury [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] perfect for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment 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 very late, [spears are] ideal for equipping the wings and going out and making some real mayhem," she teases.

In other words: Sky jousting is now real, and it needs to become an Olympic sport immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the seashells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and ridden for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no need to return to the surface for fresh air.

The other inclusions are largely things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a rotting sea creature appearing in the water, sometimes with a zombie villager on its back. If you manage to defeat the Drowned, though, you can tame the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've pondered this challenge 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 developer elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for aquatic rides that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus concept art looked impressive, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also points out that there are actually two different types of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you discover underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Further inclusions include the Parched, desert-exclusive undead archers that can endure 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 striking appearance that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a similar rib-popping design and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some highly requested adjustments to riding horses. Now, you can cross waterways while atop a horse. Additionally, netherite horse armor is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the top-tier safeguarding it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

Overall, the last content update of the year is a solid offering. The spear on its own — and the pandemonium it invites — would have felt like a major improvement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and new threats seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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