Red Dead Online originally launched back in November 2018, introduced as a free mode for Red Dead Redemption 2 one month after Rockstar’s critically acclaimed Western tragedy hit the shelves.
The mode has grown and evolved since then, with Rockstar continuing to support Red Dead Online based on player feedback in an effort to create the premiere online Western experience. It hasn’t yet proven a popular as Rockstar’s wildly successful GTA Online, but the developer remains confident that Red Dead Online is here to stay.
Rockstar North Co-Studio Head Rob Nelson recently spoke to Official Xbox Magazine ahead of Red Dead Online’s big Summer update, and promised that the studio is “just getting started” when it comes to digital cowboy escapades.
Nelson said:
We intend to keep the game fully active and support it for the foreseeable future. It took over a year for GTA Online to truly become the game it is today, and while we don’t intend to take that long with Red Dead Online, we are only just getting started! We’re excited about where the game goes from here, but we are still at the beginning. The future is full of surprises…
As Nelson mentions, it’s probably not fair to compare GTA Online – a game which has developed its incredible playerbase – over years. Given more time and polish, there’s no reason Red Dead Online couldn’t hit similar heights to its sibling, even if it is massively unlikely that the rootin’ tootin’ cowboy sim will ever outpace the juggernaut that is GTA Online.
Nelson added that Rockstar’s primary goal is to continue working closely with the Red Dead Online community, “what they’re enjoying and not enjoying, and trying to see how they push our ideas in new directions.”
These comments are reflected in the recent announcement of the aforementioned Summer update, which will introduce “a range of enhancements designed to allow players to roam freely and experience the world in their own chosen way.”
Among these enhancements, according to a blog post from Rockstar, will be specialist roles. These are essentially unique classes with their own progression, gameplay elements, and benefits. Bounty Hunter, Trader, and Collector, are the first three to have been announced.
The Summer update will also bring changes to combat based on player feedback, the opportunity to reset your character’s appearance, and “much, much more.” Like Dutch, Rockstar has a plan – they just need money.
Which, you know, Rockstar definitely has.
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Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.