Today, Rockstar Games released information regarding the multiplayer aspect of Red Dead Redemption 2 called Red Dead Online. Following the announcement, gamers have been curious as to what Red Dead Online is, and how to participate. First and foremost, a public beta for Red Dead Online will release this coming November according to Rockstar.
This comes after the main release of Red Dead Redemption 2 on October 26. The reason behind the delayed release of Red Dead Online stems from various hiccups that can occur at launch. Rockstar explained, “with most online experiences of this size and scale, there will inevitably be some turbulence at launch.”
While we know Red Dead Online incorporates multiplayer in Red Dead Redemption 2, let’s take a closer look at what exactly Red Dead Online is and how to access it.
What is Red Dead Online?
© Rockstar Games
Red Dead Online is the multiplayer aspect of Red Dead Redemption 2. A public beta for Red Dead Online is scheduled to launch this coming November. Anyone who owns a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 on either Xbox One or PlayStation 4 will be able to access the public beta of Red Dead Online.
Similar to GTA Online, Red Dead Online will likely be included as a separate menu from the base game. Note that gamers will also need to have access to their console’s multiplayer services such as Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus. Speaking of GTA Online, Rockstar has noted similarities between the two multiplayer services.
Of course, there are key differences as well. In an interview with IGN, Rockstar’s Imran Sarwar elaborated on what players can expect from Red Dead Online this November.
“Red Dead Online will use the world and gameplay mechanics of Red Dead Redemption 2 as a jumping off point for a new world of cowboys (and cowgirls) and outlaws that combines multiplayer and cooperative gameplay and narrative components in a huge open world.” He went on to explain that with Red Dead Online, “players will be able to explore alone, or easily join with friends or other players to compete or work together.”
As for why Red Dead Online is getting a delayed launch, Irwan listed several reasons, including the fact that Rockstar views Red Dead Online and Red Dead Redemption 2 as “separate products.” Essentially, Rockstar has learned from previous online releases and are applying that knowledge to Red Dead Online.
© Rockstar Games
“We’ve learned from experience when launching online games at this scale, there are bound to be a few issues and we want to ensure that we have time to gradually roll out the game and make the experience as smooth as we possibly can for everyone. We believe this way of rolling out will give people the best overall experiences with both single player and multiplayer.”
Meanwhile, Josh Needleman touched upon things the team learned the first Red Dead Redemption when creating GTA Online, and now Red Dead Online. “The biggest problem with the original Red Dead Redemption’s multiplayer was that every update we released fractured the audience. As the game got bigger, we separated our player base. Avoiding this was the inspiration behind Grand Theft Auto Online.”
Red Dead Redemption 2 is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26. After that, Red Dead Online will launch a public beta in November. We’ll be sure to update this as more information is released, including the exact beta date for Red Dead Online. In the meantime, what do you think of Red Dead Online? Do you have any concerns regarding how it will function, or are you more interested in the single-player component of Red Dead Redemption 2? Let us know down in the comments below!
