Minecraft's Mayhem Mounts Drop Introduces a Stunningly Wild Fresh Weapon to Your World

The winter content update for the block-building phenomenon has arrived — and it features the initial fresh armament introduced into the game since the mace made its debut. The spear is finally here and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you thrive on pandemonium.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

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

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," explained a senior product manager. "We prototyped a few different ideas, but the spear was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your allies on steeds, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a major applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer continues. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you lower your spear and inflict greater injury [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] perfect for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure can extend beyond 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 very late, [spears are] perfect for equipping the elytra and flying forth and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

In other words: Sky jousting is now a reality, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport right away.

Another major addition in this new update is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, which is based on the seashells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also maintain your breath meter, so there's no necessity to surface for fresh air.

The rest of the additions are mostly things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a zombie Nautilus spawning in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in defeat the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've long considered this issue for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the ideal opportunity to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the developer explains. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for sea mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus design sketches looked compelling, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually a pair of variants of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the Parched, biome-specific skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you find yourself in that environment. 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 applies equally to zombie horses, who have a comparable exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some much-anticipated changes to riding horses. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now craftable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

In summary, the final game drop of the year is a notable addition. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have felt like a considerable upgrade. Combine that with the Nautilus, and additional creatures seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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