The Latest Mayhem Mounts Drop Introduces a Stunningly Wild New Spear to Your World

The winter game drop for the block-building phenomenon has landed — and it includes the initial fresh armament added to the game since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is now available and it has the potential to change how you play Minecraft, especially if you thrive on pandemonium.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also incorporates a host of fresh elements and enhancements related to animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the development team had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we envisioned it for mounted combat," explained a senior product manager. "We prototyped 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 intended purpose."

If you're asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can charge at your companions on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action perfectly suited for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest use cases for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead says. "The spear has two attacks: You have the quick stab, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you couch your lance and get more damage [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] ideal 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] excellent for strapping on the wings and going out and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she hints.

In other words: Sky jousting is now possible, and it should be made an Olympic sport without delay.

Another major addition in this new update is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is based on the seashells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and mounted for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it carry you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also conserve your oxygen levels, so there's no necessity to surface for oxygen.

The rest of the additions are largely things that want to kill you, as is the nature of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, often with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to take care of the Drowned, though, you can tame the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've long considered this problem periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the ideal opportunity to also introduce something for aquatic environments," the developer elaborates. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for sea mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus concept art looked impressive, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also adds that there are actually a pair of variants of undead nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you encounter underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Other additions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive undead archers that can survive in the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you venture in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an notable look that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a comparable exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are refinements, including some much-anticipated tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can ford bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the final game drop of the year is a notable addition. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have felt like a major improvement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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