Red Dead Online
Multiplayer component of Red Dead Redemption 2 set in 1898.
Red Dead Online, released in 2019 by Rockstar Games, is the multiplayer mode for Red Dead Redemption 2. After a beta, it launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in May 2019, with Windows and Stadia versions following that November. A standalone version came out in December 2020.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Rockstar Games
- Producer
- Rob Nelson
- Designer
- Imran Sarwar
- Programmer
- Phil Hooker
- Artist
- Aaron Garbut
- Writer
- Dan Houser
- Rupert Humphries
- Michael Unsworth
- Series
- Red Dead
- Engine
- RAGE
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
Set in 1898, a year before Red Dead Redemption 2, the story follows a silent protagonist jailed for murder at Sisika Penitentiary. After six months awaiting execution, hired guns ambush their prison transport. The leader, Horley, takes the player to widow Jessica LeClerk. She explains the player was framed for killing her husband Philip, who she believes was murdered by his business partners: banker Jeremiah Shaw, landowners Amos and Grace Lancing, and Grace’s outlaw brother Teddy Brown.
Jessica offers to clear the player’s name in exchange for helping avenge Philip. After setting up camp and meeting Horley in Blackwater, the player works with local sheriffs. Horley then directs the player to either U.S. Marshal Tom Davies or mercenary Samson Finch, depending on the player’s honor. High honor involves hunting Mexican bandit Alfredo Montez; low honor means robbing a factory during a strike and getting revenge on Finch’s former partner.
The posse later helps kill Teddy Brown at Fort Mercer, with Jessica delivering the final blow. The player continues working for Davies or Finch afterward.
Development
Red Dead Online was developed by Rockstar Games in tandem with the single-player story; the team considered both while creating the world but focused on the former. Though they share assets and gameplay, Rockstar views them as separate products, reflected in the separate launch. The team applied lessons from Red Dead Redemption's multiplayer and Grand Theft Auto Online, particularly introducing narrative elements to a multiplayer title. Producer Rob Nelson noted differences in direction, pace, and scale demanded a different approach, slowly leading the player into the world.
The public beta opened for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 27, 2018, progressively to all owners to mitigate performance issues. Rockstar added modes and changed balance and economy during beta; progression carried over when beta ended on May 14, 2019. The game became available for Windows on November 5, 2019, and Stadia on November 19. Microtransactions let players purchase gold bars for items.
Rockstar donated five percent of in-game revenue in April and May 2020 to COVID-19 relief. The game closed for two hours on June 4, 2020, to honor George Floyd. A standalone client released December 1, 2020. Upon Stadia's shutdown in January 2023, players could transfer progress.
Reception
Red Dead Online received criticism at launch for low in-game currency rewards; some players calculated a single gold bar could take eight hours to earn. Rockstar re-balanced the economy following complaints. Complaints about griefing led Rockstar to make player visibility dependent on proximity and behavior. The Verge reported that players using black characters were targeted by griefers posing as Ku Klux Klan-inspired clans or slave catchers using racial slurs.
GameStar's Christian Just felt the game carried most single-player strengths. VG247's Matt Martin found it more enjoyable than Grand Theft Auto Online. The Verge's Andrew Webster found the battle royale mode more tense than Fortnite. Official Xbox Magazine named King of the Castle the best mode.
Kotaku's Heather Alexandra considered it gamier than the single-player. IGN's Luke Reilly praised co-operative story missions but noted skill imbalance in PvP. Den of Geek's John Saavedra criticized simplistic story missions.
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