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The seasonal content update for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the first new weapon added to the game since the heavy club made its debut. The javelin is now available and it could very well revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also introduces a host of fresh elements and updates centered around animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the creators had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," stated a senior product manager. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both played wonderfully when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the use case."

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

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer adds. "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 lower your spear and get greater injury [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment isn't limited to there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for strapping on the elytra and going out and creating genuine chaos," she teases.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now a reality, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport without delay.

Another key feature in this new update is the underwater mount. This underwater creature, which is modeled after the nautilus shells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no requirement to come up for air for oxygen.

The rest of the additions are largely things that are out to get you, as is the nature of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus popping up in the water, often with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to defeat the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — 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 ideal opportunity to also bring in something for underwater," the lead clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus design sketches looked compelling, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also adds that there are actually two different types of undead nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Other additions include the Parched, desert-exclusive skeletons that can endure the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an striking appearance that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a comparable rib-popping design 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 riding a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the best defense it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the last content update of the year is a notable addition. The spear by itself — and the mayhem it enables — would have constituted a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and new threats trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

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