Red Dead Online seemingly brought back to life by RDR remaster
There's life in the old gal yet, so someone grab a shovel and dig her up. After looking like Red Dead Online was taken out back with a shotgun like Old Yeller, the online multiplayer has seemingly crawled from the grave. See, it's not just Undead Nightmare that has zombies in the world of Red Dead.
The Grand Theft Auto games enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with GTA V and GTA Online, as the latter helped the mainline entry become the most profitable entertainment product of all time. Still, while GTA Online has kept churning out content like San Andreas Mercenaries, RDO has been left to rot.
Red Dead Online is getting new content
In July 2022, Rockstar Games effectively killed Red Dead Online, announcing that it was stopping major updates. This was presumably to shift focus to GTA 6 (wherever that is) and keep things ticking along in GTA Online. In a twist of fate, the developer confirms RDO is getting a long-awaited drop of new content.
A new Rockstar blog promises a Red Dead Online update in August 2023. It's not exactly on the same level as GTAO's updates, but those who jump back in to complete Free Roam Events will receive double money and XP. There are also weekly rewards up until September 4.
The more exciting part is a mention of a new telegram from "J." This mysterious character has "new cases requiring an outlaw's steady aim on the horizon," and while we don't know who "J" is, it doesn't take a genius to figure out this is likely John Marston from 2010's Red Dead Redemption.
Considering a Red Dead Redemption remaster is pretty much confirmed at this point, it makes sense that Rockstar wants to unite the pair for some cross-promotion. 13 years after RDR rode into town, there's sure to be a legion of newcomers trying it out. Why not lasso them over to the online portion of the Red Deadverse?
Will the Red Dead Redemption Remaster lead to more for Red Dead Online?
Click to enlargeThe question is, will a reinvigorated Red Dead Online lead to a more permanent resurrection? Sadly, it seems unlikely. The wheel had fallen off the RDO wagon long before Rockstar sent it off in the desert, and although a promo for the rumoured Red Dead Redemption remaster is a reprieve, a full U-turn remains unlikely.
Simply, Red Dead Online never lived up to its true potential. Presumably seeing the success of GTA Online, Rockstar had dollar signs ringing in its eyes and thought it could replicate the formula for Red Dead Redemption 2. For whatever reason, RDO failed to cash in. Then again, the RDR remaster could be just what the doctor ordered.