2018 was a big year for Red Dead Redemption 2. Now that we're past the few early waves of bug fixing patches and Red Dead Online is up and running, it's time for the game to truly blossom in 2019.
Rockstar has been open about their dedication to supporting the game with content going forward, so here are a few predictions and hopes for the game.
Red Dead Online DLC
It may not technically count as a prediction if we know for sure that it will happen, but here it is anyway. Red Dead Online is going to see additional content, following a model similar to Grand Theft Auto Online. DLC is going to be free for all players and is going to bring new activities, game modes, items and content for your to sink your teeth into.
Expect plenty of new goods to blow gold bars on - the whole financial model behind the free DLC for these games is that they work as an incentive for people to buy into the microtransactions, which in turn generate enough revenue to make sure that future DLC is also free.
What will these updates include? More clothes, more weapons, more horses, more Showdown Series types, possibly more Strangers missions. Rockstar may also be planning less conventional stuff that we can't predict off hand.
We're eager to see what the very first Red Dead Online DLC is going to be!
Story DLC
This one is less of a given, but we're still confident and hopeful that Red Dead Redemption 2 itself will be expanded with further content, not just Online.
GTA 5 got passed over for the single player DLC treatment because of the breakaway success of GTA Online, but maybe this time the situation will be different. That said, Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't exactly lend itself to a story expansion - the ending leads straight into Red Dead Redemption, and throughout the campaign, there aren't many time-jumps or blank periods that could be filled in with DLC.
If there were to be story DLC added, it would likely act as a prequel. What happens before the events in Blackwater set off the story? Maybe we could get a glimpse of the early days of the Van Der Linde gang, and possibly play as a young Dutch?
Undead Nightmare 2
This is more of a hope and less of a prediction since realistically the chances are pretty slim. That said, zombies never go out of style, and there would be plenty of ways to incorporate this into the game.
We know that almost all of Red Dead Redemption's map is present in Red Dead Redemption 2. Mexico is inaccessible, but after someone found a way to glitch through the invisible wall, it was revealed that most of it is actually there, just devoid of props.
An Undead Nightmare 2 expansion would be a great opportunity to add in a complete and explorable Mexico area. That Aztec mask could make a re-appearance, unleashing the zombie plague across the land. Since Undead Nightmare is non-canon by default, this happening wouldn't pose any continuity issues.
What are your hopes and predictions for Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2019? Share your thoughts in the forums.
