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The winter game drop for Minecraft has touched down — and it brings with it the first new weapon introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is finally here and it has the potential to change how you play Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates a host of fresh elements and enhancements related to riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the creators had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we desired a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," stated a lead developer. "We prototyped a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both played wonderfully when we ran our trials 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 horseback, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an offensive action ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's a blast," the developer says. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and get more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] perfect for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure can extend beyond there, though. If you're far enough into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] ideal for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she teases.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now possible, and it needs to become an competitive event right away.

Another key feature in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is modeled after the seashells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it transport you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no requirement to come up for air for fresh air.

The other inclusions are largely things that are out to get you, as is the way of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, sometimes with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in dispatch the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've long considered this issue on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the perfect moment to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a number of concepts for sea mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus concept art looked striking, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing 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] add variety to what you discover underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Other additions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive undead archers that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you find yourself in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an striking appearance that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to undead steeds, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some long-overdue tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can traverse bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Additionally, netherite horse armor is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the year-end release of the year is a pretty good one. The spear on its own — and the pandemonium it invites — would have seemed like a major improvement. 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 live for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.