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The winter game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it features the initial fresh armament introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is now available and it might just change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts drop also incorporates several new features and updates focused on riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the development team had already known it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," explained a senior product manager. "We experimented with a few different ideas, but the spear was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also looked good for the intended purpose."

If you're asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your friends on steeds, the answer is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an combat move ideally crafted for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary use cases for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead says. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the thrust, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and get greater injury [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The chaotic fun doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] perfect for equipping the elytra and flying forth and creating genuine chaos," she hints.

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

Another significant inclusion in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is inspired by the nautilus shells found in-game for years, can be tamed and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it carry you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also conserve your oxygen levels, so there's no necessity to come up for air for oxygen.

The remaining new features are primarily things that seek your demise, as is the nature of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a zombie Nautilus spawning in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to defeat the Drowned, though, you can claim the undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've been thinking about this problem on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for sea mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus concept art looked compelling, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

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

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you find yourself in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an excellent design that sees their ribs poking out. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are refinements, including some long-overdue tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can cross waterways while atop a horse. Additionally, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the best defense it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, 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 major improvement. Throw in the Nautilus, and additional creatures seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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