A new update has rolled out for Red Dead Redemption 2 that's almost 3 GB in size, and some believe it could be a response to the recent GTA Online exploits. Famous for being one of the most visually stunning video games around, Rockstar's follow-up to RDR was a marvel in digital storytelling and world building, almost on par with the likes of GTA 5. Released in 2018, RDR2 received significant praise and was nominated for several awards.
With the game approaching its fifth anniversary this year and GTA 6 in development, Rockstar appeared to say goodbye to Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2022, with the studio reducing the amount of major updates as it moves forward with future projects. This was likely a blow for fans, especially for those who play Red Dead Online, the multiplayer aspect of the game. However, a rather significant patch has been made available recently, and some believe it could be in relation to Rockstar's other major franchise.
As spotted by The Gamer, Reddit user Kindainappropriate_ uploaded a screenshot showing Red Dead Redemption 2 downloading an update via Steam, with the patch being 2.89 GB. The user was a little confused about what's actually being updated, especially given the file size. One person commented that a bug in RDR2 had been fixed, saying that they went into their stable and their horse "actually worked," while another noticed their wilderness camp was no longer crashing "for now." This suggests the update could be more about bug fixes.
However, others have said it might be in response to the recent GTA Online exploits. Players were warned about hackers having access to their game data, which led to player stats being left vulnerable. Fortunately, a patch was sent out which aimed to fix the problem. According to a report from Update Crazy, the latest Red Dead Redemption 2 update has "addressed security issues," though the Rockstar support page doesn't say anything about security in the patch notes. According to the official site, the February 7, 2023, update is for "general maintenance."
Recently, Red Dead Redemption 2 passed a sales milestone, with the game selling 50 million copies. It's still got a long way to go to match the figures of Grand Theft Auto 5, but the fact that it's managed to reach this number shows there are more than enough players still engaging with Arthur Morgan's world, as well as the game's online features. It would be a shame, then, if an exploit was uncovered. So if this patch isn't about fixing potential security risks, Rockstar may decide to send one out soon.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: The Gamer, Update Crazy, Rockstar Support