The Latest Mayhem Mounts Drop Introduces a Stunningly Wild Fresh Weapon to the Game

The winter content update for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the initial fresh armament added to the game since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is now available and it has the potential to alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates a host of fresh elements and enhancements centered around animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the creators had already known it was the moment to introduce a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we envisioned it for mounted combat," stated a senior product manager. "We experimented with 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 intended purpose."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can charge at your friends on steeds, the answer is a resounding yes. 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 incredibly enjoyable," the lead adds. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the jab attack, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you lower your spear and deal increased harm [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] ideal for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure can extend beyond there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] perfect for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she teases.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now possible, and it should be made an Olympic sport without delay.

Another major addition in this latest drop is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is based on the nautilus shells found in-game 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 conserve your air supply, so there's no need to return to the surface for fresh air.

The rest of the additions are mostly things that seek your demise, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, frequently with a zombie villager on its back. If you are able to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've pondered this problem 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 explains. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals 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 already in the game."

She also points out that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you encounter underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Other additions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive undead archers that can endure the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you end up in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an notable look that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The applies equally to undead steeds, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night 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 cross rivers and lakes while riding a horse. Furthermore, netherite horse armor is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the best defense it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

In summary, the last content update of the year is a notable addition. The spear by itself — and the potential for chaos — would have seemed like a significant enhancement. Throw in the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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