🔗 Share this article

The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has arrived — and it includes the first new weapon added to the game since the mace made its debut. The lance is finally here and it has the potential to revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates a host of fresh elements and updates focused on animal mounts in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we wanted a new weapon that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," noted a senior product manager. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can joust against your allies on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary functions for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you couch your lance and deal greater injury [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure 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 truly outlandish idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] ideal for equipping the wings and flying forth and creating genuine chaos," she hints.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it should be made an competitive event immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, which is based on the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be domesticated and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it move you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also preserve your oxygen levels, so there's no requirement to come up for air for fresh air.

The rest of the additions are primarily things that want to kill you, as is the way 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 succeed in dispatch the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've pondered this problem for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the perfect moment to also introduce something for underwater," the developer elaborates. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for underwater mounts that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus concept art looked impressive, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also notes that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] add variety to what you encounter underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the Parched, desert-exclusive skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you venture in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a similar rib-popping design and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some long-overdue changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can ford waterways while riding a horse. Furthermore, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

Overall, the final game drop of the year is a solid offering. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have constituted a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

The Mounts of Mayhem content drop is available for all major editions of Minecraft.