Red Dead Redemption 2 is only a couple of days away. Finally, after delays and years of waiting, the game is set to arrive and with excitement peaking, Rockstar has revealed more of what to expect on the big day.
Like so many AAA titles these days, the game will receive a major patch at launch, and streaming/video upload embargos have also been published.
The day-one patch has transformed from being a rare oddity into the expected status quo for major games. For all the crunch time that went into the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, there likely were plenty of adjustments that just weren't high enough on the priority list to cut it before the game went gold.
While pre-loading has been available to players who pre-ordered the game, the size of this patch (which is unknown at this stage) may prevent some from playing on launch regardless, though launching the game without it is still possible.
Rockstar states that the patch is essential "to ensure the best possible game experience" and therefore they suggest downloading it. While this is most likely an accurate statement and the patch only contains feature additions and a multitude of bugfixes, there have been cases where these day-one patches changed more.
Most recently, Shadow of the Tomb Raider's day-one patch changed the game's ending cutscene entirely, cutting out a heavy-handed reference to the first game in the franchise.
A Red Dead Redemption 2 companion app will also be released alongside the game itself. Rockstar hasn't revealed much about the app, saying they will reveal further details shortly (Update: more info here).
We know it will be available on both Android and iOS, and will directly connect with your console of choice. Rockstar redesigned their support page leading up to the launch too, which is bound to see a lot of traffic come Friday.
Rockstar also posted the embargo times, broken down by region, for the game. They know that the huge hype and anticipation around Red Dead Redemption 2 means many fans will want to begin streaming right away, and it's also clear by now that a few copies of the game are already out in the wild, hence the embargo.
The time from when video and streaming gets the green light is adjusted to the game's earliest midnight launch. The times are as follows (in the relevant locations own timezone):
- Australia / New Zealand: 12:01am Friday October 26
- Eastern Time: 7:01am Thursday October 25
- Pacific Time: 4:01am Thursday October 25
- British Time: 12:01pm Thursday October 25
Red Dead Redemption 2 is out this Friday on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Check out the launch trailer here and dive into our forums to to discuss!
