‘Tis the season for mayhem in Call of Duty. The Merry Mayhem event is now live in Black Ops 6, offering exclusive wintry Zombie-themed rewards and a new weapon.
Season One Reloaded begins with the seasonal event, offering several rewards including the Maelstrom shotgun, Light Mend Ammo Mod for Zombies, and Tesla Storm Field Upgrade for Zombies, so no matter what you play in CoD, the time to grind XP has never been better.
Here’s everything you need to do to unlock the new shotgun in BO6 along with all of the other rewards, including several cosmetics.
BO6 Merry Mayhem challenges and rewards
There are a total of 11 rewards to earn in Merry Mayhem, and the only requirement for them is to gain XP in BO6. This can be done in BO6 multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone, so make sure to use your double XP tokens to speed up the process and get the final Mastery reward, the Maelstrom shotgun.
To complete the event, you will need to obtain 618,000 XP. This will likely take some time to complete, so be patient and play whichever CoD mode you find the most enjoyable to get the challenges done.
| Reward | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|
| “Holiday Fear” emblem | 9,000 XP |
| “Necroclaus” loading screen | 21,200 XP |
| “Nasty Nick” calling card | 39,800 XP |
| “Light Mend” Ammo Mod (Zombies) | 68,000 XP |
| “Death Claus” large decal | 109,000 XP |
| “Tesla Storm” Field Upgrade (Zombies) and 30 minute double XP token |
166,000 XP |
| “Bitter Blizzard” weapon charm | 242,200 XP |
| “Shrapnel Radar” Perk (Multiplayer) | 340,800 XP |
| 30 minute double Battle Pass XP token | 465,000 XP |
| “Scour Drill” weapon blueprint and 3-Round Burst Mod (XM4 attachment) |
618,000 XP |
| Maelstrom (Shotgun, new weapon) – Mastery Reward |
Unlock all 10 rewards in Merry Mayhem |
How to get the Maelstrom shotgun in BO6 and Warzone
The Maelstrom shotgun is the final reward in Merry Mayhem, and it’s unlocked when you obtain all other rewards in the event by reaching their XP goals, and finishing the final reward at 618,000 XP, so get ready to lock in and grind whatever mode you prefer.
Here’s everything there is to know about the Maelstrom:
- “Fully automatic shotgun. Good range and handling. High recoil and large hip spread.”
- Levels: 34
- Mags: 3
- Mag size: 10
“Clear rooms with this fast firing full-auto shotgun that overwhelms enemies with a hail of lead,” Activision said. “The perfect weapon for the new Racket Strike map and in any confined area, the Maelstrom requires getting up close, its heavy recoil and large hip spread quickly losing effectiveness at range. If you can close the distance first, they’re toast.”
Alternatively, the Maelstrom can be unlocked early by purchasing the Bad Manners Bundle in the CoD Store. For 1,800 CoD Points, the bundle includes the Party Etiquette blueprint for the Maelstrom, along with the Proper Gentleman Goblin Mk2 blueprint, Dapper operator skin for Nazir, Gentleman’s Handshake finisher, Refined Time weapon charm, Unrighteous Riches large decal, and Money Bags spray.
The other rewards for MP and Zombies are also quite festive, but also fairly important, including two new additions to your loadout in Zombies mode in BO6.
- Light Mend (Zombies Ammo Mod)
- “Bullets deal Light (i.e. elemental) damage. Each bullet has a chance to transform a normal or Special enemy’s health into a healing glyph that moves to nearby injured allies.”
- Tesla Storm (Zombies Field Upgrade)
- “For 10 seconds, lightning connects to other players, stunning and damaging normal enemies.”
- Shrapnel Radar (Multiplayer Perk)
- “Blast damage dealt from area-of-effect Lethals, Tacticals and Field Upgrades mark the injured target on your minimap.”
All of these items are free to obtain, and all you need to do is play the game, so good luck out there.
Merry Mayhem runs for two weeks, from Dec. 5 to 19, so time is limited to unlock all of the rewards before they disappear. For tips on how to get XP fast in BO6, check out our guide.
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