For most of 2020, Red Dead Online‘s virtual Wild West felt like home. I ended up sinking almost 1,000 hours into it, making it my most-played game of 2020 by a longshot. And keep in mind that 2020 was a quarantine year, so a lot of people spent way more time playing video games than normal, myself included.
In the world of Red Dead Online, I made friends and enemies, mastered every available role, collected a whole bunch of horses and outfits, completed my Naturalist Field Guide, and engaged in some outside-the-box shenanigans, like experimenting with setting trains on fire (using Molotovs and the moonshine jug) or hunting down the randomly appearing hot air balloons. On the rare occasion when there was actually new content to enjoy, I was among the first to jump in and check it out.
But I have to admit, partners, here at the end of 2021, I just don’t have it in me anymore. I’ve logged on a few times in the past few months, but usually only to complete a daily challenge or two. I didn’t even finish the Halloween Pass this year, despite it being only 15 ranks worth of content. This is the first time I failed to complete a pass since Outlaw Pass No. 2 way back at the beginning of 2020.
As much as I love the game world, I just can’t continue to endure the extensive content droughts anymore. I loved the Naturalist update more than most, but the only really substantial piece of content we’ve gotten since then was the less-than-ambitious Blood Money update. And keep in mind the Naturalist update came out in July of 2020. This means it’s been a year and a half since we’ve really had any new content worth saddling up for.
Now, there are two things that could be happening here. It’s possible that Rockstar is just way more focused on Grand Theft Auto Online (and the GTA remasters), and that Red Dead Online is just kind of an afterthought. Otherwise, it’s possible that Rockstar is hard at work on the Red Dead Online PS5/Xbox Series X/S update, which will completely shatter expectations and make the game feel fresh again… maybe even adding Mexico?
But as time passes, the former is seeming more and more likely. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S have been out for a year now, and GTA Online‘s update was announced earlier this year and then delayed into 2022. It’s possible Rockstar wants to get that out of the way before announcing the next big step for RDO, but that just means fans are left begging for table scraps rather than enjoying a feast of new, hearty content. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the clown suits come out again.
And, I don’t know, I feel burned out on the whole Red Dead Redemption thing in general. It’s going to take a pretty hefty expansion to spark my interest again, I’m afraid. And I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredible game, and I’m sure it will long be listed among my favorite video games of all time. But that doesn’t mean I need to play it forever. And unless Rockstar can breathe some fresh life into the game’s online component, I think it’s finally time to say goodbye to this old friend.
