It’s always been unfortunate thatRed Dead Onlinenever took off in the same way thatGTA Onlinedid. It certainly wasn’t for lack of demand or publicity:Red Dead Redemption 2was an instant successand has proven to endure in the public consciousness years after its initial launch. But whatever the reason, it’s clear that Rockstar isn’t planning on supporting the cowboy MMO in the same way as its urban crime sibling.
ButRed Dead Onlinefans aren’t looking to let the game fade quietly into the night, as a new Change.org petition entitled “Save Red Dead Online” has recently been published. At the time of writing, the petition has just over 6,000 signatures, and that number is climbing rapidly. One can debate the effectiveness of such a petition til the cows come home, but it’s nothing if not a clear indicator ofRed Dead Online’s significance to players around the world, and a lurid manifestation of audience frustration with Rockstar’s treatment of the game. Indeed, in another world, such a petition shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place, but the seemingly doomed fate ofRed Dead Onlinehas left fans with no other option.
GTA Onlinehas proven to be a massive success, to the point where its continued support is often cited as the reason behind thelong wait forRed Dead Redemption 2andGTA 6. Regular and substantial content drops have madeGTA Onlinean ever-changing community gaming experience, and while many have critiqued it for adulteratingGTA’s identity, its cultural impact is undeniable. Simply put,GTA Onlinerakes in players, and by extension, money, by the truckload, making it a staple in live-service gaming.
But this success wasn’t achieved by accident, nor did it occur purely by virtue ofGTA 5’s open-world crime premise. Those who were around for the early days ofGTA 5back in 2013 will remember a very different, much more quaint online gaming experience, one that was decidedly similar to the baselineGTA 5experience, but with friends. It was only after years of substantial updates, bringing with them fresh narrative content, new vehicles, game modes, features, and all manner of other transformative factors, thatGTA Onlinebecame the goliaththat it is today. With Rockstar not throwing its full weight behindRed Dead Onlinein the same way, it’s no wonder that it hasn’t achieved the same level of popularity.
Theneglect ofRed Dead Onlineis so bitterbecause of its inherent potential. Something akin toGTA Online, but in the more sober, expansive, and natural world ofRed Dead Redemption 2,is rife with unique possibilities, some of which include:
This is to say nothing of the fact that many ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s nuanced single-player features, like being able to rob civilians at gunpoint and order meals in restaurants, are absent fromRDO. Collectively,Red Dead Online’s slew of missing features is puzzling, and sends the message that Rockstar has little faith in a multiplayer project that millions of players are clearly invested in. Whether this is true is difficult to know for sure, but it’s not hard to imagine a better, bigger, and more detailedRed Dead Online. Community actions like Save Red Dead Online are working toward that dream.
Red Dead Online
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into the vibrant, ever-evolving world of Red Dead Online and experience life across frontier America.Forge your own path as you battle lawmen, outlaw gangs and ferocious wild animals to build a life on the American frontier. Build a camp, ride solo or form a posse and explore everything from the snowy mountains in the North to the swamps of the South, from remote outposts to busy farms and bustling towns. Chase down bounties, hunt, fish and trade, search for exotic treasures, run your own underground Moonshine distillery, or become a Naturalist to learn the secrets of the animal kingdom and much more in a world of astounding depth and detail.Join millions of fellow players in the American West, and experience a world now packed with years’ worth of new features, gameplay and additional enhancements.
