| Red Dead Online | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Rockstar Games |
| Publisher(s) | Rockstar Games |
| Producer(s) | Rob Nelson |
| Designer(s) | Imran Sarwar |
| Programmer(s) | Phil Hooker |
| Artist(s) | Aaron Garbut |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Series | Red Dead |
| Engine | RAGE |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Red Dead Online is a 2019 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games as the online component of Red Dead Redemption 2. After several months in beta,[a] it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in May 2019, and for Windows and Stadia in November 2019. A standalone client for the game was released in December 2020. In Red Dead Online, players control a customizable silent protagonist who is freed from prison after being framed for murder, and tasked with taking revenge in exchange for proving their innocence. Set in 1898, one year before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, the game comprises story missions where up to four players can complete tasks to advance the narrative, as well as various side missions and events.
Like the single-player game, Red Dead Online is presented through both first and third-person perspectives, and players may freely roam its open world. Gameplay elements include shootouts, hunting, horseback riding, interacting with non-player characters, and maintaining the character's honor rating through moral choices and deeds. A bounty system governs the response of law enforcement and bounty hunters to crimes committed by players. Players traverse the open world alone or in a posse of up to seven players, with or against whom they can partake in organized activities. Developed in tandem with the single-player, Red Dead Online was viewed as a separate product despite the development team's wishes to translate the single-player's elements to a multiplayer environment. They took lessons learned from the multiplayer of Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto Online.
Red Dead Online received criticism at launch for balancing of gameplay and in-game currency, which later updates addressed. It received positive responses with praise for its mission presentation, co-operative events, and technical improvements. Like Grand Theft Auto Online, the game received updates adding new content, including selectable roles to earn additional rewards. Reception to post-release content was generally positive, with praise directed at more significant additions, though the lack of new content over time led to some criticism and backlash. The final major update was released in July 2021, as Rockstar later withdrew development resources to focus on Grand Theft Auto VI.
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