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The winter content update for Minecraft has arrived — and it brings with it the first new weapon added to the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it might just revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also introduces several new features and enhancements centered around animal mounts in the game. That central theme made the spear the ideal addition for this release, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a new weapon that would increase combat distance, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," explained a senior product manager. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both played wonderfully when we ran our trials and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're asking yourself whether mounted combat means you can joust against your companions on steeds, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary functions for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer adds. "The spear has two attacks: You have the jab attack, 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 momentum you have. So [it’s] ideal for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun can extend beyond there, though. If you're far enough into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she teases.

In other words: Sky jousting is now real, and it needs to become an competitive event without delay.

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the underwater mount. This aquatic being, which is inspired by the seashells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and ridden 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 need to come up for air for a breath.

The other inclusions are mostly things that want to kill you, as is the nature of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a rotting sea creature appearing in the water, frequently with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in dispatch the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've been thinking about this problem periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the ideal opportunity to also unveil something for underwater," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas 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 found within the game."

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

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific undead archers that can endure the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an notable look that sees their bones protruding. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some much-anticipated tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while mounted on a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now available at the workbench, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the last content update of the year is a notable addition. The spear alone — and the pandemonium it invites — would have felt like a major improvement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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