For a game that seemingly came and went in the blink of an eye, failing to live up to the heights of Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Online is alive and well with regular updates from Rockstar Games. In fact, if a new leak is to be believed, Rockstar is working on a Halloween-themed event for Red Dead Online that will release sometime in the coming weeks and introduce new Ghost animals including a Ghost Boar, Buck, Possum, and Rabbit. With regular events and updates since it left Beta, here's a look at some of Red Dead Online's biggest updates since launch.
Red Dead Online Leaves Beta
When Red Dead Online released in November 2018, it released as a Beta. It wasn't until May 2019 that Rockstar Games was ready to take the leash off and release the beast, and it did so in a huge way, adding new co-op missions, free roam missions, poker, posse challenges, dynamic world events, and a lot more. Rockstar had spent over six months monitoring Red Dead Online and taking in player feedback from the Beta so that it could figure out what players wanted and where the game fits in a GTA Online dominated landscape, not to mention Fortnite, Rocket League, Call of Duty, and everything else. When Red Dead Online finally left Beta, it did so in a big way and that was just the first big step in the right direction.
Frontier Pursuits & Specialist Roles
The next big update for Red Dead Online was teased when the game left Beta and was finally released in September in the form of Frontier Pursuits, an all-new way for players to customize their characters by taking on a unique Specialist Role. Described by Rockstar Games as "unique paths of progression," Frontier Pursuits released with three roles for players to choose from: Bounty Hunter, Trader, and Collector. Bounty Hunters will have access to unique tracking skills and weapon tricks, Traders can create a business at Camp to collect and produce valuable goods, and Collectors are all about finding valuable goods with metal detectors and refined binoculars, and being rewarded handsomely for their work.
Legendary Bounties
Not long after the release of Frontier Pursuits, the next big update for Red Dead Online came in the form of Legendary Bounties, a new limited-time weekly event where players are tasked with tracking down deadly targets including the Owlhoot Family, and the 'Wolf Man.' Similar to Hitman 2's Elusive Targets, Legendary Bounties were released one at a time and lasted for the week before being replaced. Once all ten bounties had been completed, the bounties were made permanent for licensed Bounty Hunters and have since been expanded to include Legendary animals for Naturalist roles - something that will be touched on soon.
Fear of the Dark Event
The idea of Red Dead Online releasing a Halloween event next month doesn't seem all too farfetched considering players got one last year. In October last year, Rockstar Games released the Fear of the Dark limited-time event where players had access to new themed clothing, a new Legendary bounty, and a new spooky mode for Red Dead Online Showdown. With three times bonus gold on offer, the Fear of the Dark mode pit players against Night Stalkers - supernatural beings with enhanced speed, endurance, and strength, and creepy skull masks which were the source of their power.
Moonshiners & the Naturalist
Since the release of Frontier Pursuits in September 2019, Rockstar Games has added two additional Specialist Roles for players to choose from. The Moonshiner role was added in December 2019 and was designed for players "progressing along the Trader path or anyone seeking a property to call their own," allowing them to start up a bootlegging business and eventually, a speakeasy. The second new role is the Naturalist (mentioned earlier), which is focussed on tracking, hunting, and studying wildlife. Players that choose the Naturalist role will gain access to Legendary Animals missions, exclusive weapons like the Improved Bow or Elephant Rifle, the Mercy Kills skill, the ability to pitch Wilderness Camps, and the opportunity to stop animal poachers.
Despite already being playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X from launch through backward compatibility, Rockstar Games announced plans to re-release Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online on next-gen consoles with exclusive content and updates. It's safe to say that with the ongoing success of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, a similar move could be made to keep the fanbase invested and bring lapsed players back for another round.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.