How to Unlock Rare Melee Weapons in GTA Online

The two standout rare melee weapons in GTA Online covered here are the Stone Hatchet, earned through Maude’s Freemode bounty chain, and the seasonal Candy Cane, which Rockstar has distributed during holiday events. The Battle Axe and Pool Cue are useful collectibles, but they are standard Ammu-Nation purchases, not Agency or Salvage Yard unlocks.

This guide focuses on weapons with a special mission or seasonal path, then separates them from regular store purchases. Rockstar’s official release notes and Newswire were checked on October 16, 2026. The sources reviewed confirm past Candy Cane holiday distributions, but do not establish a permanent, year-round way to claim it.

Rare melee weapons: quick unlock checklist

1. Unlock the Stone Hatchet through Maude’s bounties

The Stone Hatchet is the main mission-based rare melee unlock. Rockstar introduced it alongside a Freemode Bounty Hunter activity: finish the bounty challenge to reveal the weapon’s location. This is a separate quest from the Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid.

1. Enter Freemode and wait for Maude’s message. The bounty chain starts when Maude contacts you with a target and a search area.
2. Travel to the marked area and find the target. Use the message’s picture and the highlighted search zone to narrow the search. The target may not be standing exactly on the center of the map marker.
3. Complete each bounty. Rockstar’s announcement says the targets can be brought in dead or alive. Follow the on-screen objective and wait for the next target message.
4. Finish the full chain. Complete the five Maude bounty targets. After the final target, watch for Maude’s follow-up and the new location marker.
5. Collect the Stone Hatchet. Go to the revealed location, find the chest, and interact with it. The weapon is then added to your melee inventory.

The original Stone Hatchet announcement also described a separate Kills Challenge after the weapon is acquired. That challenge is a bonus objective; it is not part of the steps required to claim the hatchet itself. Read the current in-game prompt for any challenge terms that apply to your platform and account.

2. Get the Candy Cane during a holiday event

The Candy Cane is a seasonal melee weapon, not a permanent bounty or property reward. Rockstar gave it to players who logged in during the 2022 Festive Surprise week, and later listed it among returning holiday items in its 2025 holiday coverage. Those announcements show that it can return, but they do not promise the same dates or claim method every year.

1. Check the current Rockstar Newswire holiday announcement. Confirm that the Candy Cane is listed for the active event and note the event’s specific start and end dates.
2. Log in during the stated window. In 2022, Rockstar described the Candy Cane as part of the gifts available for logging in that week. Follow the current event’s instructions if the reward is offered differently.
3. Confirm it appears in your weapon inventory. If you already claimed it in a previous event, check your melee weapon selection and your custom loadout before assuming it is missing.

If you missed the event, there is no confirmed year-round unlock path in the official material reviewed for this guide. Wait for a future Rockstar holiday announcement rather than grinding missions or buying a property based on an unverified tip.

3. Battle Axe and Pool Cue are store purchases

The Battle Axe can look like a rare unlock because it arrived in a content update, but Rockstar’s later title-update notes place it in Ammu-Nation’s melee weapon cabinet. Rockstar also listed the Pool Cue among the melee weapons introduced with the Bikers update and said Ammu-Nation was stocking the new weapons. Visit an Ammu-Nation store, browse the melee section, and use the price shown in your current game.

You do not need to own an Agency, complete five Payphone Hits, buy a Salvage Yard, or finish two robberies to unlock either weapon. Older guides can carry incorrect prices or mix up properties and weapon unlocks, so use the current in-game shop listing instead of relying on a historical dollar amount.

Claims to treat with caution

• Five toy hats for the Hatchet: this is not Rockstar’s documented Stone Hatchet unlock. The Stone Hatchet route is Maude’s bounty activity; the regular Hatchet is a different weapon.
• Battle Axe through Agency contracts: Rockstar’s notes place the Battle Axe in the Ammu-Nation melee cabinet.
• Stone Hatchet from the Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid: Rockstar documents the Stone Hatchet as a reward tied to the Freemode Bounty Hunter activity.
• Military Shovel from Salvage Yard robberies or a “Snowflake Hammer” challenge: I could not verify an official Rockstar unlock path for either claim. Do not buy a property or grind a challenge solely on that advice.

If an owned weapon does not appear

A weapon can seem missing when a Custom Weapon Loadout hides it. Rockstar Support recommends checking the Gun Locker loadout or disabling the custom loadout from the Interaction Menu’s Health and Ammo section. Check the weapon wheel again before trying to buy the weapon a second time. Some mission weapons are temporary pickups and are only usable during that mission, so distinguish those from weapons permanently added to your inventory.

Official sources

• Rockstar Support: GTAV Title Update 1.44 notes
• Rockstar Newswire: Earn the Stone Hatchet
• Rockstar Support: GTAV Title Update 1.42 notes
• Rockstar Newswire: GTA Online Bikers now available
• Rockstar Newswire: 2022 Festive Surprise gifts
• Rockstar Newswire: 2025 holiday items, including returning Candy Cane
• Rockstar Support: Finding your weapons in GTA Online