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The seasonal game drop for Minecraft has touched down — 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.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem update also introduces a host of fresh elements and enhancements centered around animal mounts 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 fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we wanted a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," noted a lead developer. "We tried out a few different ideas, but the spear was the one that both played wonderfully when we ran our trials and also made sense for the use case."

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

"[Jousting on horses is a primary applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and get increased harm [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment can extend beyond there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the wings and flying forth and making some real mayhem," she hints.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now a reality, and it should be made an Olympic sport right away.

Another major addition in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is modeled after the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no requirement to surface for a breath.

The rest of the additions are largely things that seek your demise, as is the way of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a zombie Nautilus appearing in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to defeat the Drowned, though, you can claim the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've pondered this challenge on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the right time to also bring in something for underwater," the lead explains. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a number of concepts for underwater mounts that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked striking, and we have the link to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also adds that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you find underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Further inclusions include the Parched, desert-exclusive skeletons that can endure the sun, which means there's no getting away from them if you find yourself in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an striking appearance that sees their ribs poking out. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie 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 mounted on a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now obtainable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the best defense it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the final game drop of the year is a pretty good one. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have constituted a major improvement. Throw in the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

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