It was about time. Red Dead Online, though still officially in the beta phase ever since its late November 2018 launch, has just received its first DLC. This new Beta Update brings a new game mode to Online and Rockstar also outlined their plans for upcoming content and changes to the game.
The first new addition to the game, Gun Rush, is a PvP mode players can dive into right away. It's a variation of the Make It Count game mode that uses basic battle royale design. While in Make It Count you either only have a bow or throwing knives, Gun Rush adds firearms into the mix.
You'll need to scour the playing field in order to gather weapons and ammo that let you gain the upper hand. Here too, the map shrinks over time, limiting the places where you can hide as well as the weapons you can pick up. The game mode supports up to 32 players and comes in two flavors - team based and free for all.
Rockstar Games has also given a brief rundown of Red Dead Online's roadmap. Officially the game will stay in Beta for a few more months, which will see a huge amount of new content being added and tested. Changes based on player feedback are also being implemented, so let's look at those first.
The developers are going to approach the issue of griefing with two new mechanics. Firstly, player blips on the map will soon become proximity-based, meaning you only see someone if they are physically close by. This means that if you can put some distance between yourself and the griefer, they can't follow you across the whole map.
Another related mechanic is similar to GTA Online's mental state. Rockstar plans to implement automatic detection of griefing, with the detection range of griefers' blips being larger. That means that peaceful players can see and track griefers from a distance, but not the other way around.
In this vein we can expect changes to the parley system as well in the coming weeks. Here, the changes are smaller, with the conditions being tweaked that makes the triggering of the system easier to deal with griefers faster. Posse Feuds and Leader Feuds will also be easier to start.
Upcoming changes to the Law and Bounty system also affect griefing, showing that Rockstar is committed to stamping out the issue. The updated system will slap bounties onto griefers which, if not paid within an allotted time, will attract NPC bounty hunters across all states that home in on you.
To further incentivize playing every day, Daily Challenges will also be added to the Red Dead Online beta. As these cover every aspect of the gameplay, you can use them to earn some extra cash and XP while practicing with those mechanics you're not entirely comfortable with yet.
As for upcoming gameplay content, Rockstar was a little more tight-lipped. We can expect more Showdown modes and Races, which doesn't come as much of a surprise, as well as new clothing, weapons and other items. Dynamic events will be added to the game, and the Land Of Opportunities story will be continued with further missions that bring back established characters while introducing new ones.
Check back to learn more about upcoming content in Red Dead Online.
