Halloween has come in February, at least for some unsuspecting Red Dead Redemption 2 players. Hackers appear to be spawning angry two-headed skeletons into Red Dead Redemption's servers, which have been attacking and terrorizing players.
These hacks have been shared on social media over the last few days. The skeletons appear out of nowhere and immediately aggro onto players. It seems like the skeletons are immune to bullets and can't be killed with melee attacks. Some players have found success in hog tying the skeletons and then fleeing the area, but so far there is no clear way to kill these enemies.
Players have noticed that the two-headed skeleton isn't a new model added to the game by hackers. A two-headed skeleton can be found in a crashed freak show train, one of the many secrets contained in Red Dead 2. It appears that these skeletons are animated versions of that model. Rockstar obviously never intended this skeleton to be a character in the game, let alone an unkillable one.
2 headed skeletons are tearing up my server...anyone have any idea what's happening? Best I've got is someones modding? from RedDeadOnline
This isn't the first time that Rockstar Games has faced hackers. Rockstar games have had their fair share of vulnerabilities, which has opened the door for hackers in the past. In Grand Theft Auto 5 hackers have found ways to do everything from making themselves invincible to spawning in giant wind turbines in the middle of the city.
News of hacking is probably the last thing that Rockstar needs right now. Its Co-founder Dan Houser recently left the studio, leading to a fall in stock prices for its parent company, Take-Two Interactive. While these events are almost certainly unrelated, it's very poor timing for the studio.
Many players have come to expect some level of hacking in online play, especially in Rockstar titles. For some, hackers are just another obstacle to avoid, or even part of the fun. This hack is especially silly, and doesn't seem to be all that malicious. Still, it can be very frustrating for players who are trying to enjoy the game as it was intended to be played, and hopefully, Rockstar handles it soon.
Red Dead Online is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.