Minecraft's Mounts of Mayhem Drop Brings Forth a Beautifully Chaotic New Spear to Your World

The winter game drop for Minecraft has touched down — and it features the first new weapon added to the game since the mace 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 adds a host of fresh elements and enhancements related to animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this release, as the development team had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," explained a lead developer. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also looked good for the use case."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can charge at your friends on steeds, the answer is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an offensive action ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a major functions for the spear, and it's a blast," the developer continues. "The spear has two attacks: You have the quick stab, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you couch your lance and deal greater injury [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] ideal for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and creating genuine chaos," she hints.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport immediately.

Another major addition in this new update is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is modeled after the nautilus shells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and mounted for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it transport you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also maintain your air supply, so there's no need to surface for fresh air.

The rest of the additions are largely things that are out to get you, as is the nature of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you are able to defeat the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've been thinking about this challenge for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the perfect moment to also unveil something for aquatic environments," the developer explains. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for aquatic rides 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 undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive undead archers that can survive in the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you find yourself in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an striking appearance that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, 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 available at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the final game drop of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have constituted a considerable upgrade. Add in the Nautilus, and more things trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

The Mayhem Mounts content drop is available for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.