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The seasonal content update for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the initial fresh armament added to 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 thrive on pandemonium.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem update also adds a host of fresh elements and enhancements centered around riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the creators had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," noted a senior product manager. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both felt great when we tested our prototypes and also looked good for the use case."

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

"[Jousting on horses is a major use cases for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer says. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you lower your spear and get more damage [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure 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 very late, [spears are] excellent for equipping the elytra and flying forth and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she hints.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now real, and it needs to become an Olympic sport immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this latest drop is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the nautilus shells 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 preserve your air supply, so there's no need to return to the surface for oxygen.

The rest of the additions are primarily things that are out to get you, as is the way of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you manage to take care of the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've long considered this problem for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the right time to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for aquatic rides that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus design sketches looked striking, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also points out that there are actually two different types of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] add variety to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you end up in that biome. 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 applies equally to zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some long-overdue tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can cross waterways while atop a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the ultimate protection it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

In summary, the year-end release of the year is a solid offering. The spear alone — and the pandemonium it invites — would have seemed like a major improvement. Add in the Nautilus, and more things trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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