Rockstar has taken to its official blog to announce Red Dead Online role-playing systems, along with a long list of other enhancements. Most of the major updates will kick-off this summer while others will begin to appear by the end of the month. Last we heard from Rockstar on the matter it was focusing on balancing the experience and reducing griefing. While its efforts continue in that direction, we are also getting a series of cosmetic content, new co-op campaign missions and much more. Head below for all the details.
Free Roam Missions and Showdowns:
Before we tackle the new and upcoming Red Dead Online role-playing elements, let’s take a look at what else Rockstar is bringing to the frontier. Starting on May 21st, there will be a host of new free roam missions and clothing added to the Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Catalogue. We will see even more of the same hit on May 28th and beyond with new Showdown modes. The new Railroad Baron Free Roam Event hits on June 4th as well and has players capturing cars on a moving train.
New Red Dead Online Co-op Missions:
The new co-op missions continue the story of Jessica LeClerk and the truth behind the death of her husband. The honorable Gunslinger path will have players battling the del Lobos gang, while the Outlaw route includes a daring highway robbery and a Saint Denis bank heist. Both of which lead to a “rendezvous in Blackwater with a dangerous adversary.”
Poker:
While this doesn’t directly tie in to the upcoming Red Dead Online role-playing system (yet, anyway), it is certainly a welcomed addition. Players can now visit poker tables in towns and outposts “across the map”. You’ll be able to challenge your friends in private, invite-only games. Or you can up the ante with a seat at a public table where the buy-ins and rewards are much higher, according to Rockstar. “All poker tables seat up to 6 players, available in 5 locations: Blackwater, Saint Denis, Tumbleweed, Valentine and Flatneck Station.”
Red Dead Online Role-Playing Systems:
Rockstar hasn’t dropped an official launch date for the Red Dead Online role-playing classes, but we know they are on the way. The developer decided it was time to introduce a new system to the experience to “offer new ways to fully inhabit your character as you progress in multiple roles and carve out your own place on the frontier.” Starting this summer, players will be able to align themselves to one or more of the first three roles to be made available. Bounty hunters track down wanted criminals. Collectors search for treasure or hunt down other “exotic items” and Traders build a camp business for selling goods and the like.
According to Rockstar, the new Red Dead Online role-playing classes are more than just a menu and a couple new quests. Each of them include a host of new clothing/costumes and specific rewards. You can focus on one at a time “to advance quickly and unlock each role’s unique attributes” or some combination of the three to create your personalized role.
More Updates:
Other notable additions include even more refinements on the Hostility System, the LeMat Revolver (now available for purchase in game), and a series of goodies for those that “jump into Red Dead Online this week”. You “may happen across townsfolk and travelers in need of assistance, or opportunists looking to prey on lone riders”. These events will offer up quests, XP, Honor and cash, among other things. And lastly, a quick note for PS4 gamers. You do not need a PS Plus subscription to play Red Dead Online from now through May 27th. Having said that, you will need one by the time the new Red Dead Online role-playing elements launch.
9to5Toys’ Take:
Things are looking up for Red Dead Online. Clearly the folks at Rockstar are pouring hours of effort and new content into the experience, and is still hasn’t even left its beta phase yet. While we are expecting that to happen over the next few months, by that point the experience will be much more balanced and deep. While the new role-playing elements are likely to appease the Twitch/streaming community, it sounds like good news for everyone to us. According to Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick, Red Dead Online is performing better than GTA Online after a similar amount of time. There were no details on what exactly that means, but it does probably point at a whole lot more Red Dead Online content in the pipeline.
Head over to Rockstar’s site to get even more details on today’s and this summer’s updates.
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