How do you unlock the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6 and Warzone? Auto shotguns have always been a bit of a menace in Call of Duty, especially when you’re zooming through smaller maps like a rat on Adderall. The ASG-89 already serves the needs of most, but as they say: variety is the spice of death.
Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded is set to introduce the Maelstrom – a fast-firing shotty that could very well secure a top spot on our BO6 best loadouts list. While the Maelstrom’s been described as lacking in the damage department compared to its classmates in the FPS game, its innate range and handling, as well as the optimal loadout for it, should make up for its shortcomings. Before that, you’ll need to learn how to unlock the weapon in Black Ops 6 and Warzone.
How to unlock the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6 and Warzone
The Maelstrom is a mid-season event reward. To unlock the Maelstrom, you’ll likely have to complete various limited-time objectives before it’s bestowed to you.
The Black Ops 6 events for Season 1 Reloaded are currently unconfirmed, but our dedicated events guide will keep you updated with the latest updates on how they’ll function (and what you’ll need to do to get the Maelstrom).
Best BO6 Maelstrom loadout
As the Maelstrom is set to have high recoil and large hip spread, we can potentially set it up for lightning fast aim down sight speed, while taking advantage of its range. Provided it has access to the same attachment pool as the ASG-89, we’d provisionally advise taking the Muzzle Brake to cut down recoil and boost kick reset speed, while accentuating the damage range with the Long Barrel.
From there, the Quickdraw Grip will give the weapon’s ADS speed a huge boost, and the Light Stock’s mobility buffs will ensure you’re snappy in all aspects. Finally, slap on the Rapid Fire mod to max out Maelstrom’s fire rate, and you’re good to go.
Alternatively, if you still want to try the Maelstrom as a hip-fire monster, then opt for the Full Choke to reduce hip spread, and the CQB Grip to amp up dive, slide, and sprint to fire speed. The Long Barrel, Light Stock, and Rapid Fire mod remain our recommended attachments for the other slots.
And that’s how to get the Maelstrom in Black Ops 6, as well as the best loadout we can theorycraft for the weapon ahead of its release. In the meantime, read our Black Ops 6 weapons guide to see what the current meta is. For more expert BO6 guides, check out our dedicated hub.