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The winter content update for the block-building phenomenon has touched down — and it brings with it the initial fresh armament introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The javelin is now available and it might just alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you love chaos.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem update also adds a host of fresh elements and updates centered around riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the perfect fit for this release, as the creators had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," explained a senior product manager. "We experimented with a few different ideas, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the intended purpose."

If you're asking yourself whether mounted combat means you can charge at your friends on steeds, the answer is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an attack perfectly suited for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a major functions for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead continues. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the thrust, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and inflict increased harm [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun can extend beyond there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an truly outlandish idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she hints.

In other words: Sky jousting is now possible, and it should be made an Olympic sport immediately.

Another major addition in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is inspired by the nautilus shells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and ridden for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no need to come up for air for fresh air.

The remaining new features are largely things that want to kill you, as is the way of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a rotting sea creature appearing in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you are able to take care of the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've been thinking about this challenge periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the right time to also introduce something for underwater," the developer elaborates. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a number of concepts for sea mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus concept art looked impressive, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

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

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive skeletons that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape 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 notable look that sees their ribs poking out. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

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

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the year-end release of the year is a pretty good one. The spear by itself — and the mayhem it enables — would have seemed like a major improvement. Add in the Nautilus, and additional creatures seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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