Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 1 Reloaded introduces two new weapons, one of which can be unlocked through the Merry Mayhem event.
Usually, players unlock new weapons through the Battle Pass, but Treyarch threw a curveball at players in the mid-season update. Similar to how players unlocked the Sirin 9MM Secondary Weapon in the Hit List event, players have to do the same to unlock the Malestrom shotgun.
Activision described the new shotgun as a weapon that requires players to get up close if they want to find any success. Heavy recoil and significant hip spread hold the Malestrom back at range, but Good range and handling make the fully automatic weapon dangerous in short-range engagements.
Here is everything you need to know about unlocking the weapon and everything else included in the Merry Mayhem event.
Merry Mayhem start and end date
The Merry Mayhem event starts on December 5 and ends on December 19. Players have until that end date to earn all of the required XP.
If players can’t unlock every reward, the Ammo Mod, Field Upgrade, Perk, attachment, and weapon will all be added to the Armory.
How to unlock the Maelstrom shotgun & other Merry Mayhem rewards in Black Ops 6 & Warzone
Players must earn enough XP to complete all 10 Merry Mayhem challenges to unlock the Maelstrom shotgun.
Activision only revealed the XP requirement for a few of the rewards, meaning we won’t know how much XP is needed to complete all 10 until the event officially starts.
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Here is a look at every reward.
- “Holiday Fear” Emblem
- “Necroclaus” Loading Screen
- “Nasty Nick” Calling Card
- “Light Mend” Ammo Mod (Zombies Only) and 30 Minute “Double Weapon XP Token”
- “Death Claus” Large Decal
- “Tesla Storm” Field Upgrade (Zombies Only) and 30 Minute “Double XP Token”
- “Bitter Blizzard” Weapon Charm
- “Shrapnel Radar” Perk (Multiplayer Only)
- 30 Minutes “Double Battle Pass XP Token”
- “Scour Drill” Weapon Blueprint (BlackCell Only) and “3-Round Burst Mod” Attachment for the XM4
The Maelstrom Shotgun isn’t the only exciting reward from this event. Light Mend is a new Ammo Mod in Zombies, in which Zombies have a chance to drop healing glyphs that can heal you or nearby allies.
In addition, the Ammo Mod can be augmented to alter the glyphs effects. Next, Tesla Storm is a returning Field Upgrade in Zombies that stuns and damages enemies for 10 seconds. New to this title, the lightning also connects to your teammates.
Meanwhile, Shrapnel Radar is a new Perk 3 slot option that marks injured enemies from lethals, tacticals, and Field Upgrades on your mini-map.
Last, the XM4 3-Round Burst Mod Conversion helps preserve the AR’s ammo and makes it easier to hold a steadier aim on enemies than in full-auto mode.
For more on what’s coming in Season 1 Reloaded, check out our specific Warzone, Black Ops 6, and Zombies guides.
