The Latest Mayhem Mounts Drop Brings Forth a Beautifully Chaotic Fresh Weapon to Your World

The winter content update for Minecraft has arrived — and it includes the first new weapon introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it could very well change how you play Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also incorporates several new features and updates focused on riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the creators had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," noted a senior product manager. "We experimented with a few different ideas, but the spear was the one that both felt great when we tested our prototypes and also was visually fitting for the intended purpose."

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

"Mounted lance combat] is a major use cases for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the thrust, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you lower your spear and deal more damage [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment can extend beyond 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 very late, [spears are] perfect for equipping the elytra and going out and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

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

Another key feature in this new update is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, which is based on the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be domesticated and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also conserve your oxygen levels, so there's no need to return to the surface for fresh air.

The other inclusions are primarily things that seek your demise, as is the nature of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a undead nautilus appearing in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you manage to take care of the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've long considered this issue periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the right time to also introduce something for underwater," the lead elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a number of concepts for sea mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus design sketches looked striking, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie 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 skeletons 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. Camel husks have an notable look that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a analogous 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 long-overdue changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can ford rivers and lakes while atop 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

All told, the last content update of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have seemed like a considerable upgrade. Add in the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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