Red Dead Online is receiving pretty big update today, introducing more story missions, customization options, free roam events and, by popular demand, poker.
When the online mode for Red Dead Redemption went live last winter, fans were excited to venture into the Wild West with friends and strangers alike for about a hot minute. After that, it became painfully clear that there just wasn’t enough content to make the mode very engaging. Rockstar said from the beginning that it would be an evolving mode with new features and content bolted on over time, and they’ve stayed true to those claims.
Today’s update continues the trend, starting with something players have been begging for since day one: Poker. You can set up a private game with friends by visiting a poker table in just about every city and outpost in the game, or you can visit a public table in either Blackwater, Saint Denis, Tumbleweed, Valentine or Flatneck Station. Either way, poker in Red Dead Online is a six-player affair and your in-game currency is on the line. Apparently the public tables offer higher buy-ins and better rewards, so good luck outlasting the competition.
The other big additions to today’s update are all of the new missions. The online campaign continues with a series of new “Land of Opportunities” missions to play through, with divergent paths depending on if you’re playing a more lawful individual or someone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty. Also up for grab are new free roam missions, which can be found by visiting Bayou Nua if you’re a goodie and the Aberdeen Pig Farmers if you’re a baddie.
On top of all of that, you’ll find the usual assortment of new firearms, gear and emotes to equip to your cowpoke and help make them more unique.
While all of that new info comes from a recent update from the developer, the folks over at Polygon have details on the next update this summer, which sounds even more ambitious. Apparently players will be able to choose a job (bounty hunter, collector or trader), which will grant access to unique gameplay systems as well as gear specific to your job of choice. Think of it like a job system in your standard MMO.
I wasn’t too impressed with Red Dead Online after the first couple of weeks but, looking ahead, it seems like the game is evolving into a fully fleshed-out mode players might actually want to revisit.