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The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has touched down — and it includes the initial fresh armament introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is now available and it has the potential to alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem update also incorporates several new features and enhancements centered around riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the development team had already known it was the moment to introduce a fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we envisioned it for mounted combat," explained a senior product manager. "We experimented with a few different ideas, but the spear was the one that both played wonderfully when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the use case."

If you're curious whether mounted combat means you can joust against your allies on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action excellently designed for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead says. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the thrust, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you couch your lance and deal greater injury [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment can extend beyond there, though. If you're far enough into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] perfect for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she suggests.

In other words: Sky jousting is now a reality, and it should be made an Olympic sport immediately.

Another key feature in this new update is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, 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 transport you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also maintain your breath meter, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for a breath.

The other inclusions are primarily things that are out to get you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a rotting sea creature appearing in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in defeat the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've pondered this problem for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus concept art looked striking, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also adds that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the Parched, desert-exclusive undead archers that can endure the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you find yourself in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another new mob. Camel husks have an notable look that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some long-overdue tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can ford rivers and lakes while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now craftable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

In summary, the year-end release of the year is a solid offering. The spear on its own — and the potential for chaos — would have seemed like a considerable upgrade. Combine that with the Nautilus, and new threats seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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