How to unlock the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6

The upcoming Season 1 Reloaded update in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is introducing a ton of content for fans across all modes. There are new events, a fresh Zombies map, and plenty of unlockable content to keep players busy until the holidays are well and done. At the start of Season 1 Reloaded in Black Ops 6, players will be able to unlock most of the update's content, which includes the Maelstrom shotgun.

The Maelstrom is a fully automatic shotgun that should challenge the ASG-89 in the class, as it features a faster fire rate. However, this comes with higher recoil and a larger hip fire spread, meaning you need to get up close and personal enemies to get the kill. To see how you can unlock the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6, check out the guide below.

Similar to how you unlock the new AMR Mod 4 sniper rifle, the Maelstrom is unlocked through an in-game event. Specifically, it's the prize for completing the Merry Mayhem event in Black Ops 6, which arrives at the start of Season 1 Reloaded on Dec. 5.

The Merry Mayhem event isn't too complicated to complete, as all you need to do is play Black Ops 6 and earn XP to unlock rewards. As you earn more XP, you'll earn new rewards along the event path. At the end, once you've earned all the necessary XP, you'll immediately unlock the Maelstrom shotgun for use in multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone.

You can earn XP playing any mode in multiplayer or battle royale as well as all Zombies map, including the new map Citadelle des Morts. The Merry Mayhem event ends on Dec. 19, which is when the Archie's Festival Frenzy event begins.

If you don't end up unlocking the Maelstrom through the event, you can always purchase a store bundle containing a blueprint for the shotgun. A bundle with a blueprint likely won't make its way into the store until after the Merry Mayhem event has ended, but you can always keep an eye on it to see.

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