Minecraft's Mayhem Mounts Update Introduces a Beautifully Chaotic New Spear to Your World

The winter game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the first new weapon introduced into the game since the mace made its debut. The spear is finally here and it has the potential to change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you enjoy mayhem.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also incorporates a host of fresh elements and enhancements related to animal mounts in the game. That central theme made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the development team had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," noted a senior product manager. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both played wonderfully when we tested our prototypes and also was visually fitting for the intended purpose."

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

"[Jousting on horses is a primary use cases for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the thrust, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you couch your lance and inflict more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for knightly combat."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

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 quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for equipping the elytra and flying forth and making some real mayhem," she hints.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now possible, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport right away.

Another key feature in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is inspired by the nautilus shells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and ridden for submarine exploration. Not only will it carry you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also maintain your breath meter, so there's no need to come up for air for a breath.

The remaining new features are largely things that are out to get you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, frequently with a zombie villager on its back. If you are able to defeat the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've been thinking about this issue periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also introduce something for underwater," the lead elaborates. "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 compelling, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also notes that there are actually two different types of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are refinements, including some much-anticipated tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while riding a horse. Additionally, high-tier barding is now available at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the ultimate protection it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

In summary, the year-end release of the year is a pretty good one. The spear on its own — and the potential for chaos — would have seemed like a considerable upgrade. Add in the Nautilus, and new threats seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

The Mounts of Mayhem update is out now for all major editions of Minecraft.