Red Dead Online still holds immense potential, in the minds of fans, which remains underutilized.
Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption stands alone as a series that sets standards in terms of quality, immersion and storytelling.
Red Dead Revolver first graced our screens way back in 2004, offering an entertaining but relatively linear experience compared to later entries in this franchise. So when Red Dead Redemption arrived in 2010, we lived out our Wild West fantasies like never before… until Red Dead Redemption 2 launched in 2018.
Red Dead Online enabled fans to experience the Wild West together – even though, in true Wild West style, your companions might turn on you at every opportunity – as did its characters themselves – all thanks to Red Dead Online in 2010.
GTA Online became an instant classic after its initial debut with Grand Theft Auto V’s release; boasting an open world set in Los Santos that boasted various activities and frequent content updates; its fans couldn’t get enough.
As soon as it was announced that Red Dead Redemption 2 would also feature its own online mode, fans naturally expected it would at least match GTA Online in terms of quality and excitement; unfortunately this enthusiasm soon died away.
Red Dead Online’s launch content was quite high-quality; however, once Rockstar Games realized it wouldn’t make anywhere near as much money as GTA Online did, content support quickly diminished; at least not to the levels seen there.
Fans have long campaigned to “Save Red Dead Online”, yet their efforts have generally fallen on deaf ears, leaving Rockstar Games providing recycled content instead. Recently though, an exciting Halloween update called Undead Nightmare Resurrection appeared which may provide hope that Red Dead Online may yet survive as fans campaign to bring it back.
Redditors have recently been deliberating video game titles that might have made more money with proper management; one such title that keeps cropping up repeatedly is Red Dead Online.
“Red Dead Online had such potential… only for it to fall behind much older GTA Online,” lamented K1ngPCH. If Rockstar had made any substantive improvements to Red Dead Online it wouldn’t have floundered, suggested Ramen_Hair.
“Red Dead Online was, in my view, one of the greatest video game disappointments ever produced by Rockstar,” stated Bobo3076. “With an open world Wild West experience from one of their developers – Rockstar no less – all it needed to become one of my all time online games was some TLC for GTA Online instead they just let it rot away!” What an embarrassment.
At this stage, it seems unlikely that Rockstar Games will ever support Red Dead Online like they have with GTA Online; we can only hope that dedicated fans continue participating so as not to kill off Red Dead Online by Rockstar themselves.
