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The seasonal game drop for the block-building phenomenon has arrived — and it features the initial fresh armament introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The javelin is now available and it might just change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also incorporates several new features and updates related to riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we wanted a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we wanted it to be mounted combat," noted a senior product manager. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also looked good for the use case."

If you're asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your companions on steeds, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an combat move perfectly suited for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary use cases for the spear, and it's a blast," the developer continues. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, 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 pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The chaotic fun isn't limited to there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and creating genuine chaos," she teases.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it needs to become an Olympic sport right away.

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is based on the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be domesticated and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it move you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also maintain your air supply, so there's no need to come up for air for a breath.

The rest of the additions are mostly things that want to kill you, as is the way 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 defeat the Drowned, though, you can tame the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've long considered this issue periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to also introduce something for aquatic environments," the developer explains. "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 striking, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also notes that there are actually two different types of zombie Nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Further inclusions include the Parched, biome-specific skeletons that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you end up in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an striking appearance that sees their bones protruding. The applies equally to undead steeds, who have a comparable exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are refinements, including some highly requested tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can traverse waterways while mounted on a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now available at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the ultimate protection it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the last content update of the year is a notable addition. The spear on its own — and the potential for chaos — would have seemed like a considerable upgrade. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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