While the arrival of a second weapon-unlocking Red Dead Redemption 2 cross-promotion to Grand Theft Auto Online isn't a surprise due to it having been revealed by data miners ahead of schedule, the opportunity is still a welcome addition considering how fun the weapon is, not to mention the easy money you can make from the challenge.
All the files and assets that make up this little event were already present in the After Hours download, just not active, which is how some skilled fans managed to happen upon it early on. The reality lines up perfectly with what we heard: GTA Online players will be contacted by Maude Eccles to complete a series of 5 bounty missions.
Folks who played the story mode will remember Maude from Trevor's Strangers and Freaks missions where she also handed out bounty missions for the protagonist to complete for some cash.
It doesn't seem like Maude has moved up in the world since then (remember, as of The Doomsday Heist GTA Online no longer takes place before the storyline) quite like she had hoped and is still handing out bounties to people of questionable repute.
Upon completing the five bounties, Maude will reward you with the location of the Stone Hatchet. It's easy enough to find after that and you can use it in GTA Online upon pickup.
The challenge it unlocks needs to be completed to unlock the weapon in Red Dead Redemption 2 though, but you get a decent sum of GTA$ for your troubles as well — 250,000 to be exact.
Not that the Hatchet itself isn't a treat in and of itself. It has a set of unique animations, such as getting stuck in the victim's skull, and an ability mirroring that of Trevor's to boot, but with a twist.
Scoring kills with the Hatchet give you a damage reduction and health regeneration bonus, albeit a short one which can be extended by scoring more and more kills.
This makes the already simple Red Dead Redemption 2 unlock challenge even easier. Similar to the headshot challenge of the Double Action Revolver cross-promotion, you need to score 25 kills with the Hatchet. PED kills count towards the score, but with the special ability, cleaving through armed opponents is also trivial.
The Double Action Revolver scavenger hunt is also returning to Los Santos, giving you a chance to unlock the flashy gold plated with ivory grip skin for Red Dead Redemption 2 as well as another reward of GTA$ 250,000.
Keep in mind that to used these unlocks in Red Dead Redemption 2, you'll need to link it to the same Social Club account with which you play GTA Online.
