Minecraft's Mounts of Mayhem Drop Introduces a Stunningly Wild Fresh Weapon to the Game

The winter game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it brings with it the first new weapon added to the game since the mace made its debut. The lance is now available and it could very well change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates several new features and enhancements centered around animal mounts in the game. That driving concept made the spear the ideal addition for this release, as the development team had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we aimed for a new weapon that would add some more range, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," explained a lead developer. "We prototyped a number of concepts, 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 asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can charge at your allies on horseback, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an attack ideally crafted for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary applications for the spear, and it's a blast," the developer continues. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the thrust, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and deal increased harm [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] ideal for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure doesn't have to stop 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] ideal for equipping the wings and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she teases.

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

Another major addition in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the nautilus shells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and mounted for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also preserve your breath meter, so there's no requirement to surface for oxygen.

The other inclusions are largely things that seek your demise, as is the tradition of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a undead nautilus spawning in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've long considered this problem on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the right time to also bring in something for the ocean depths," the developer explains. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a number of concepts for underwater mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked striking, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you discover 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 getting away from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an striking appearance 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 lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are refinements, including some highly requested changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can ford waterways while atop a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the last content update of the year is a notable addition. The spear by itself — and the mayhem it enables — would have seemed like a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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