🔗 Share this article

The seasonal game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it brings with it the initial fresh armament added to the title since the mace made its debut. The javelin is now available and it could very well revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts drop also adds several new features and enhancements centered around animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," noted a lead developer. "We experimented with a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both felt great when we tested our prototypes 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 steeds, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action ideally crafted for it.

"[Jousting on horses is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer continues. "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 lower your spear and deal greater injury [with] the more momentum 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 far enough into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for equipping the wings and flying forth and making some real mayhem," she teases.

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

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the seashells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and ridden for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also conserve your oxygen levels, so there's no need to come up for air for fresh air.

The remaining new features are mostly things that are out to get you, as is the way of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, often with a Drowned on its back. If you manage to take care of the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the standard version, 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 felt like the right time to also bring in something for the ocean depths," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a several proposals for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked impressive, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also adds that there are actually a pair of variants of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific undead archers that can survive in the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you find yourself in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another new mob. Camel husks have an notable look that sees their bones protruding. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a similar rib-popping design and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are refinements, including some much-anticipated changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross waterways while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

Overall, the last content update of the year is a pretty good one. The spear on its own — and the potential for chaos — would have felt like a considerable upgrade. Throw in 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.