GTA 5 Explosive Melee Attacks Cheat Code: How to Make Every Punch Explode

One cheat code turns Michael, Franklin or Trevor's fists into small bombs. Throw a punch or a kick while it's active, and the hit detonates on impact, no gun required. It works on every platform GTA 5 shipped on - PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC - through three entry methods. Here is every code, exactly how to type it, and what changes once it's on.

Essentials:

• Phone code (all platforms): 1-999-4684-2637 (1-999-HOT-HANDS)
• PC console command: HOTHANDS
• PS4 / PS5 combo: Right, Left, X (Cross), Triangle, R1, Circle, Circle, Circle, L2
• Xbox One / Series X|S combo: Right, Left, A, Y, RB, B, B, B, LT
• Story mode only - it does nothing in GTA Online
• Disables achievements/trophies for the current play session
• Enter the same code again to switch it off

What the Explosive Melee Attacks Cheat Actually Does

Once active, every unarmed hit you throw - a jab, a kick, a takedown - explodes on contact with whatever it connects to: an enemy, a car, a prop, even a wall. It doesn't just add damage; it adds a genuine blast radius, so a single punch can knock back or kill anyone standing near your target too. Combined with the fact that Michael, Franklin and Trevor can sprint straight into a crowd, it turns hand-to-hand combat into a one-hit crowd-control tool instead of a last resort when you're out of ammo.

Vehicles react to it as well. Punching a car door or a moped can be enough to total it, which makes this cheat a fast way to clear a Strangers and Freaks brawl or just cause chaos in Los Santos without touching a weapon. It stacks cleanly with other cheats - run it alongside the explosive bullets cheat and both your guns and your fists become demolition tools.

How to Activate It: The Phone Method (Works on Every Platform)

The easiest way to enter this, or any, GTA 5 cheat is through the in-game phone belonging to whichever character you're controlling. It's identical on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.

1. Bring up the phone: press Up on the D-pad on console, or Backspace on PC by default.
2. Open the dialer.
3. Dial 1-999-4684-2637.
4. Hang up. A small on-screen prompt confirms the cheat is live.

Because it's just digits, this method sidesteps the timing issues that trip people up on the button-combo version.

PC: Console Command

On PC, open the developer console with the tilde key (~) and type:

HOTHANDS

Press Enter and every melee hit you throw from that point on carries an explosion. The phone method above works identically on PC if you'd rather not use the console.

PS4 and PS5: Button Combo

Enter this sequence during free gameplay, without opening a menu or pausing, fast enough for the game to register it as a cheat instead of stray input:

Right, Left, X (Cross), Triangle, R1, Circle, Circle, Circle, L2

If it doesn't trigger, you likely paused too long between inputs or had a menu open mid-combo. Reset and try again, or just dial the phone number instead.

Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S: Button Combo

The same sequence on Xbox face buttons and triggers:

Right, Left, A, Y, RB, B, B, B, LT

As with PlayStation, it needs to be entered quickly during normal gameplay, not during a cutscene or a paused menu.

How to Turn Explosive Melee Attacks Off

GTA 5 cheats toggle on and off with the same input. Dial 1-999-4684-2637 again, retype HOTHANDS in the console, or repeat the button combo, and your punches go back to normal.

What to Know Before You Use It

• Story mode only. Like every GTA 5 cheat code, this one is single-player exclusive and does nothing in GTA Online.
• Achievements and trophies get disabled the moment any cheat is active for that session. If you're chasing a specific unlock, save first, use the cheat, then reload your last clean save to restore normal tracking.
• It doesn't survive a reload. Loading a save resets every active cheat, so you'll need to re-enter the code each new session.
• It affects unarmed combat only. Switching to a weapon drops the explosive effect until you go back to your fists.

Pair It With: Explosive Bullets

If you want the chaos to cover gunfights too, GTA 5's Explosive Bullets cheat makes every round from every weapon explode on impact.

• Phone: 1-999-444-439 (1-999-HIGH-EX)
• PC: HIGHEX
• PS4/PS5: Right, Square, X, Left, R1, R2, Left, Right, Right, L1, L1, L1
• Xbox: Right, X, A, Left, RB, RT, Left, Right, Right, LB, LB, LB

Run both together and every attack you throw, armed or not, ends in an explosion.

More GTA 5 Cheat Codes Worth Knowing

Explosive melee is one entry in a much longer list. For a full loadout, check the complete weapon cheat codes for instant max ammo, the health and armor cheat to stay alive while you test it, or the master list of every GTA 5 story mode cheat for PS5, PS4, Xbox and PC.

Wondering what carries over to the next game? See which GTA 5 cheat codes could return in GTA 6, or get ahead of launch with the full list of GTA 6 cheat codes we're tracking for November 19, 2026.