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The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has arrived — and it brings with it the initial fresh armament added to the game since the mace made its debut. The lance is now available and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem update also introduces a host of fresh elements and enhancements focused on animal mounts in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this update, as the development team had long felt it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," stated a lead developer. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both felt great when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the use case."

If you're curious whether mounted combat means you can charge at your friends on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action perfectly suited for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer continues. "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 couch your lance and deal greater injury [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment doesn't have to stop 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] ideal for strapping on the elytra and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she suggests.

In other words: Sky jousting is now a reality, and it needs to become an Olympic sport right away.

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the seashells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it move you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also conserve your breath meter, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for fresh air.

The remaining new features are primarily things that seek your demise, as is the nature of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus appearing in the water, often with a Drowned on its back. If you manage to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've been thinking about this issue on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the right time to also bring in something for aquatic environments," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for sea mounts that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus design sketches looked impressive, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also notes that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] add variety to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive skeletons that can endure the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you venture in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another new mob. Camel husks have an striking appearance that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a similar rib-popping design and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some long-overdue changes to riding horses. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while atop a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now craftable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the best defense it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the last content update of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the potential for chaos — would have seemed like a significant enhancement. Throw in the Nautilus, and more things trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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