The wait is over, Red Dead Online has received its first major DLC in a long while.
The Naturalist joins the list of available Roles, and the third iteration of the Outlaw Pass kicks off as well. All kinds of new activities, weapons, events, missions and unique, exciting rewards to be earned have filled the frontier, waiting for you to explore all the new content.
Red Dead Online’s newest role is the main attraction here. By becoming a Naturalist, you will be able to track all new kinds of legendary animals never before seen in the game, as well as unique species and subspecies that have also been newly added. This role also introduces a greater measure of variety and interactivity by presenting something of a moral choice to players.
When you become a Naturalist, you will have the option to assist either Harriet Davenport, an enthusiastic conservationist trying to learn from nature an animals peacefully, or Gus Macmillan, a well known trophy hunter who wants to exploit nature and get rich while doing it. The two will offer different kinds of activities and rewards, and if any player tries playing on both teams, they will know – and won’t be happy about it.
If you ally yourself with Harriet, your tasks will involve stealthily following and observing wildlife, occasionally sedating specimens and taking samples – without killing your quarry. Picking this path will grant you special items like Varmint Rifle Sedative Cartridges and the Animal Reviver, allowing you to heal wounded creatures. Players will also be able to use special cameras for documentation.
Gus, on the other hand, will pay handsome sums for exotic and unique hides or trophies from slain game. Should you take him up on his offer, bringing back various animal body parts from rare species will grant you clothing items and trinkets as reward.
If you are interested in getting started as a Naturalist in Red Dead Online, visit Strawberry and head to the Welcome Center to acquire the Animal Field Guide, and listen to both Harriet and Gus as they try to recruit your assistance. A whole range of new content will be unlocked regardless of who you choose to help.
Naturalists will have access to exclusive horse breeds, special role clothing items and exciting new tonics that let you lose or gain weight and ignore weather effects. Experienced Naturalists will be able to pitch camp anywhere out in the wild and end the suffering of wounded animals with mercy kills. If your trigger finger ever gets itchy, you can always raid the camps of illegal poachers.
Similar to the Legendary Bounties of the Bounty Hunter role, the Naturalist is also going to get some particularly challenging weekly content in the months to come. New Legendary Animals will become available each week, which you can track either in free-roam or via Animal Sighting Assignments. Use the Legendary Animal Map to find your quarry, and decide whether you observe or kill.
The Naturalist requires special equipment for their trade, and so the Wheeler, Rawson & Co. has updated their selection to cater to these new needs. Pick up the Improved Bow and the Elephant Rifle to help your work as a hunter, or grab the Advanced Camera allowing you to photograph interesting specimens, or just capture share-worthy screenshots in-game which you can touch up with a selection of filters.
Two new free-roam events will keep Naturalists busy when out and about. Legendary Animal Protection has you rebuff poachers trying to take down a majestic beast during migration, forcing you to protect the animal without getting too close, lest it mistake you for an enemy as well. Wild Animal Tagging is a less violent pastime, tasking a group of Naturalists with sedating and tagging wildlife. You can also sedate any poachers you come across!
The other big new thing hitting Red Dead Online is The Outlaw Pass No. 3, bringing experienced players new high-level rewards to strive for. This iteration of the Outlaw Pass has 80 ranks to climb, and you have until October 19, 2020 to reach the top. Rewards include up to 40 Gold Bars, exclusive outfits and camp upgrades.
This isn’t all. Beyond these two major updates hitting Red Dead Online today, Rockstar packed a bunch of other, smaller content additions into the DLC. A huge variety of new random encounters have been added to free-roam, so you’ll barely be able to walk two steps without finding something new to distract you.
These may include hunters looking for a bit of help, crashed carts with loot waiting to be plundered or drunk folks far away from town, whom you can help or rob. The clothing and hairstyle selection has also been hugely expanded, and new emotes can help you roleplay even better. Beyond content, 250 bug fixes, balance tweaks and other technical improvements were also applied.
Amid all the new content, Rockstar didn’t forget to bring weekly bonuses either. Starting Naturalists can benefit from double rewards being paid for Tier 3 Legendary Animal Samples and Whole Carcass Sales, while simply becoming a Naturalist at all will grant you a redeemable reward for a free Outfit, Accessory or Emote.
If you sedate and sample your first animal this week, you’ll also get the Gila Monster Camp Flag. Completing any Legendary Animal Sighting mission will unlock a unique colour scheme for the Farnholme Double Bandolier, and finally pitching a wilderness camp will grant you a free treasure map.
You can also grab an offer for 30% off on any Novice or Promising Naturalist role item, as well as another for 30% off on a Revolver of your choice. Weekly rewards include one free Ability Card, 2000 Naturalist Role XP, Free Sedative Varmint Cartridges and a Free Legendary Animal Pheromone.
See you in the wild!
