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The seasonal game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the first new weapon introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The javelin is now available and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you thrive on pandemonium.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem update also introduces several new features and updates centered around riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the creators had already known it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we desired a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we envisioned it for mounted combat," explained a senior product manager. "We tried out a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the use case."

If you're curious whether mounted combat means you can tilt at your allies on steeds, the answer is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an offensive action excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary functions for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead continues. "The spear has two attacks: You have the thrust, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you couch your lance and inflict more damage [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for mounted duels."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The chaotic fun isn't limited to there, though. If you're far enough into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and making some real mayhem," she teases.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now possible, and it should be made an Olympic sport immediately.

Another major addition in this fresh content is the underwater mount. This sea-dwelling mob, which is modeled after the nautilus shells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it move you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also preserve your breath meter, so there's no requirement to surface for a breath.

The rest of the additions are mostly things that seek your demise, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus appearing in the water, often with a Drowned on its back. If you succeed in dispatch the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've long considered this problem for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the perfect moment to also unveil something for the ocean depths," the developer elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for aquatic rides that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus design sketches looked striking, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also points out that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the Parched, biome-specific skeletons that can endure the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you find yourself 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 ribs poking out. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night with a spear-carrying zombie on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some long-overdue tweaks to riding horses. Now, you can ford bodies of water while riding a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now obtainable 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 solid offering. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have seemed like a major improvement. Add in the Nautilus, and more things trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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