The beta of Red Dead Online shows no signs of ending. Rockstar states that the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 remains in testing, but also announced new content.
What’s new? When Rockstar Games announced that Red Dead Online would initially start in beta, fans were relieved. This way, they could first eliminate errors and prepare the mode for its full release. However, the developers did not specify how long Red Dead Online would remain in beta.
In an announcement regarding the new “Gun Rush” update, Rockstar Games explained that the beta is far from over.
How long will the beta of Red Dead Online last?
This is what Rockstar says: The team writes on the homepage of Rockstar Games:
We thank all players who participated in the Red Dead Online beta over the holidays, especially those who gave us their valuable feedback. Please keep it up – Red Dead Online will continue as a beta for a few more months as we want to add many more gameplay features and improve, stabilize, and refine the player experience through further changes.
The beta will therefore remain active for a few more months. There is currently no date for the full release of Red Dead Online.
Contents planned for Red Dead Online
Players have complained in recent weeks that there is too little content for the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2. Apparently, the team heard these complaints and is planning new content.
This is planned: More updates should come “soon” that will fill the online mode with game modes and content.
- Daily challenges
- With these challenges, Rockstar aims to encourage players to log in daily. The challenges are intended to appeal to different playstyles. Sometimes you will need to practice marksmanship, and on other days, escape from lawmen. The rewards have not been explained yet.
- Negotiation
- The negotiation feature can be activated if aggressive players have killed you four times. In the future, you should be able to activate this even faster to avoid aggressive players. If the negotiation feature is active, the affected players cannot attack each other for 10 minutes.
Red Dead Online defends against griefers
You will no longer see every player everywhere: You will soon no longer be able to see player markings on the map from a long distance. This will only be possible at close range. Players will likely appreciate this change, as aggressive players could previously track your location from a distance and ride to you.
Players who grief and randomly kill other players will be better recognized. They will receive a marking that gradually becomes darker and larger. Every player in the online mode will be able to recognize the griefers more easily and spot their positions early.
Improving player markings is important. As early as November 2018, the always-visible players were among the 10 most annoying things in the multiplayer of RDR 2.
How to further weaken the griefers still? The team at Rockstar wants to improve the functioning of lawmen and bounties. Griefers should be less motivated to kill other players. For crimes, players should receive a bounty. There will be an incentive to pay this within a certain time. If this is not done, bounty hunters from all states will pursue the players. This will force griefers to pay or flee.
Rockstar announced weeks ago that they intend to take action against griefers in the online mode. Now they finally show how that will work.
New content planned for Red Dead Online
The above-mentioned changes will be enhanced with new features and content. However, there is still no outlook on when the content will be released. A lot of new content for RDO is expected this year. Among them:
New missions: In the online mode, you will soon continue your story in “A Land of Opportunities” with new story missions. Familiar faces like Horley and Jessica LeClerk will be involved. But new characters will also join in.
Events in Red Dead Online: More events will take place across the game world. These will be dynamic events that can change.
New game modes: More game modes where you compete in races are planned. Additional content for showdown modes is also planned.
Weapons and clothing: New firearms for the cowboys in multiplayer will be available soon. Which ones they are is still unclear. There will also be new clothing.
What new content would you like to see for Red Dead Online?
The first step was already taken by Rockstar with this new game mode:
