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The winter game drop for Minecraft has touched down — and it includes the first new weapon introduced into the title since the mace made its debut. The javelin is now available and it has the potential to revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also adds several new features and updates focused on animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we aimed for a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," stated a lead developer. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also looked good for the use case."

If you're asking yourself whether mounted combat means you can charge at your allies on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a major use cases for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead says. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you couch your lance and deal increased harm [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] perfect for mounted duels."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she suggests.

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

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, which is modeled after the nautilus shells we've all been collecting for years, can be domesticated and mounted for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it carry you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also conserve your air supply, so there's no need to surface for fresh air.

The remaining new features are primarily things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a rotting sea creature spawning in the water, sometimes with a Drowned on its back. If you succeed in defeat the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've long considered this challenge periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also introduce something for underwater," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a number of concepts for sea mounts that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked striking, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also adds that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the Parched, biome-specific undead archers 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 desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an notable look that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a analogous rib-popping design 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 minor quality-of-life improvements, including some long-overdue adjustments to riding horses. Now, you can ford waterways while atop a horse. Additionally, netherite horse armor is now available at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the best defense it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

In summary, the last content update of the year is a notable addition. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have felt like a major improvement. Add in the Nautilus, and new threats trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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