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The seasonal content update for Minecraft has touched down — and it brings with it the first new weapon introduced into the game since the mace made its debut. The lance is now available and it could very well revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also introduces several new features and enhancements focused on riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the creators had long felt it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we aimed for a new weapon that would add some more range, and we envisioned it for fighting from atop a creature," stated a lead developer. "We tried out a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly 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 joust against your companions on steeds, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary functions for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer says. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the quick stab, where you simply impale 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] perfect for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure isn't limited to there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] excellent for equipping the wings and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she suggests.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now real, and it should be made an Olympic sport immediately.

Another key feature in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is based on the nautilus shells players have gathered 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 maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no necessity to come up for air for oxygen.

The remaining new features are largely things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, sometimes with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in take care of 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 issue periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the perfect moment to also bring in something for the ocean depths," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus concept art looked striking, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was already in 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] add variety to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Additional features include the Parched, desert-exclusive undead archers that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you find yourself in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some long-overdue adjustments to equestrian travel. Now, you can ford waterways while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now available at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

In summary, the final game drop of the year is a solid offering. The spear on its own — and the pandemonium it invites — would have constituted a major improvement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and new threats trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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