Red Dead Online features several different competitive multiplayer modes all included in the Showdown Series. The playlist has been recently updated with a brand new mode called Gun Rush, which is basically another take on the battle royale genre already explored in the Make it Count mode.
In this guide, we will run over the new Gun Rush mode and the available maps, as well as provide some tips that will help you become the very best at it.
Article Contents
Mode Overview
Gun Rush is a battle royale mode that plays very similarly to the Make it Count mode. Up to 32 players are dropped in one of the three available maps - Tall Trees, Rhodes, and Fort Mercer - with no weapons and items, which must instead be procured on the map. Like in any other battle royale mode, the playable zone will shrink as the match proceeds, and players caught outside of the zone are eliminated. The last player standing wins the match.
Despite a few similarities, he Gun Rush and Make It Count modes have some very distinct mechanics. While the latter only provides players with a limited selection of weapons, the Gun Rush mode features all of the Red Dead Online weapons, as well as horses, which actually make a big difference, as mobility is extremely important in all of the three maps.
Additionally, while players are indeed dropped randomly on the map in the Gun Rush mode, it's only at the edges, which makes it slightly easier to come up with a consistent strategy.
Another major addition only found in Gun Rush mode is armor, which prevents players from getting damaged when attacked from the front. As you will find yourself confronting another player head-on, having armor is extremely important in securing a victory.
Tips
As already mentioned, players are dropped randomly on the map at the beginning of a Gun Rush match, but only on the edges. While there are a few melee weapons located near the edges of the map, we suggest you ignore them to head straight into the middle of the map, where better weapons and items are usually located.
You don't even have to worry too much about an enemy killing you if you do so at the very beginning of the match, as the other players are either unarmed, as you are, or only have melee weapons, which have terrible range and are not a threat at all. If you really want to grab a melee weapon at the beginning of the match, we suggest you avoid heading into the middle shortly after, as other players may have obtained firearms and be waiting for any other player to show up to ambush them.
Being a battle royale mode, knowing where items, weapons, horses and other players are is extremely important. In Gun Rush, the mini-map always shows their exact locations, so be sure to make use of this to plan your strategy and avoid getting into fights if you haven't acquired a reliable fire arm. Going for horses first is a very good strategy, as mobility is extremely important in all Gun Rush maps, and moving quickly will allow you to reach the best vantage points before anyone else does.
Speaking about vantage points, the three maps are quite different in their layouts, but the general points remain the same: try stick to buildings, rooftops and any other location with high altitude that allow you to view of a vast portion of the map. This, combined with any scoped rifle, will allow you to kill opponents from afar with ease.
Among Gun Rush's available items, armor is among the most important, as it will help you survive a direct confrontation with an opponent. It can only be found in chests, so make sure to open all those you find during a match to gain an advantage over your opponents.
Maps Tips
Fort Mercer
The Fort Mercer map includes the fort itself as well as its surrounding areas. Due to the nature of the map, it makes no sense to stay outside the fort, as you will be easy pickings within it, with no good cover.
Once inside the fort, pick the weapons found in the middle of it, and try to get on the second floor as quickly as possible. Not only you will have a better view of your surroundings, but you will also find plenty of cover, which is not available on the much more open ground floor.
Whatever you do in this map, avoid staying on the ground floor for too long, as other players have likely already positioned themselves on the second. It's also very easy to get cornered and killed on the ground floor, due to the lack of cover.
Rhodes
The Rhodes map is definitely interesting, as it lacks any large open spaces, with the exception of the grounds leading to the saloon. For this reason, heading into the saloon as soon as possible is the best thing you can do once a match starts, since you will then get into the best vantage point of the entire map.
Additionally, players make a lot of noise when walking on wood, so you will be warned of their approach by the sounds they make, and have plenty of time to react accordingly.
In case the saloon has already been claimed by other players, Rhodes provides plenty of other good vantage points. Any rooftop or balcony will do.
If the match has been going on for some time, and you're in need of moving around the map, never do so at the center of the roads. Always stick close to buildings to avoid getting spotted, and sniped, by opponents on the rooftops.
Tall Trees
Tall Trees is very different from the Fort Mercer and Rhodes map, due to its layout lacking a real central zone. For this reason, it's very unusual to get into a short-range confrontation with opponents, so weapons with very good range, like rifles, are dominant in this map, even more so considering the map offers a lot of good cover spots like rocks, which make it pointless to run out in the open to engage enemies at mid and short ranges.
The only reason you have for moving in the open is to reach the various camps found on the map. They usually include chests with armor, so it's a risk worth taking. Just avoid moving on horseback as much as possible: due to the map's layout, a player on horseback is an extremely easy target to kill.
