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The winter game drop for the block-building phenomenon has arrived — and it includes the first new weapon added to the game since the mace made its debut. The spear is finally here and it could very well change how you play Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts drop also incorporates several new features and enhancements centered around riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the creators had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," noted a lead developer. "We experimented with a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both played wonderfully when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the use case."

If you're asking yourself whether mounted combat means you can tilt at your friends on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move ideally crafted for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a major use cases for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead continues. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the quick stab, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you lower your spear and inflict more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment can extend beyond there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] perfect for equipping the elytra and flying forth and creating genuine chaos," she hints.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now real, and it deserves to be an competitive event right away.

Another major addition in this new update is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, which is modeled after the seashells players have gathered for years, can be tamed and ridden for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it carry you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no requirement to surface for a breath.

The other inclusions are largely things that are out to get you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a undead nautilus appearing in the water, sometimes with a Drowned on its back. If you succeed in defeat the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've been thinking about this problem on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also introduce something for aquatic environments," the lead elaborates. "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 compelling, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also notes that there are actually a pair of variants of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you discover underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the Parched, desert-exclusive skeletons that can endure the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The applies equally to undead steeds, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark 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 changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can ford bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now craftable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the final game drop of the year is a pretty good one. The spear alone — and the potential for chaos — would have seemed like a major improvement. Throw in the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

The Mayhem Mounts content drop is available for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.