Unlocking the Maelstrom Shotgun Early in Black Ops 6 Without the Merry Mayhem Event Completion

When Season 1 Reloaded for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 landed, it brought a holiday cheer with the introduction of the Merry Mayhem event. At the heart of this festive event lies the Maelstrom shotgun, pictured above, awaiting players who are willing to embark on this two-week grind. Don’t worry; it’s not too strenuous, but it does demand some commitment.

Securing the coveted Maelstrom involves working through all the tiers of Merry Mayhem, which requires collecting a substantial 618,000 XP. Of course, for those who are eager to start leveling it—or add something other than a launcher to their camo grind—you don’t have to wait.

Enter the shortcut: a bit of spending.

If patience isn’t your strong suit and you’re itching to play with this new weapon sooner, you can jump ahead by purchasing the “Bad Manners” bundle from the in-game store. Within it, you’ll find the “Party Etiquette” blueprint tied to the Maelstrom. This approach echoes the path taken by the Sirin 9mm from the recently concluded Hit List event, making it possible for those willing to pay to unlock the weapon early.

This bundle sets you back 1,800 COD Points. Besides the Maelstrom blueprint, you’ll also snag one for the Goblin and a few cosmetic extras. But wait, doesn’t a blueprint require you to have unlocked the weapon beforehand?

Actually, no. Obtaining a blueprint permanently grants you access to that weapon for use across different game modes in Black Ops 6, meaning you can bypass using your hard-earned Prestige level unlock tokens. Consider the Season 1 Battle Pass, which offers various weapon blueprints that sidestep the need for those tokens completely.

So, if you’re racing to get the Maelstrom ahead of the crowd, spending some COD Points is a swift route. While I wouldn’t necessarily advocate for it, especially if you’re watching those points, it’s definitely a choice on the table.