🔗 Share this article

The winter content update for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the first new weapon added to the title since the mace made its debut. The lance is now available and it might just alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem update also introduces several new features and updates centered around riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the development team had long felt it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we desired a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," stated a senior product manager. "We experimented with a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can charge at your friends on steeds, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an offensive action ideally crafted for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary functions for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer adds. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you couch your lance and get more damage [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] ideal for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment can extend beyond there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she teases.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it should be made an Olympic sport immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this latest drop is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, which is modeled after the nautilus shells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and ridden for underwater travel. Not only will it move you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also preserve your breath meter, so there's no necessity to surface for fresh air.

The other inclusions are largely things that are out to get you, as is the way of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a rotting sea creature spawning in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you manage to take care of the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've long considered this problem for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also bring in something for aquatic environments," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a number of concepts for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus design sketches looked impressive, 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 zombie Nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the Parched, biome-specific undead archers that can withstand the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an notable look that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some long-overdue tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can ford bodies of water while riding a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now available at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the ultimate protection it is worthy of.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the last content update of the year is a solid offering. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have constituted a considerable upgrade. Throw in the Nautilus, and new threats trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

The Mayhem Mounts update is live for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.