Red Dead Online update 2019

Red Dead Online's first update of 2019 goes live today, according to Rockstar. It includes a new competitive mode called Gun Rush, which is basically the game's version of battle royale.

"Today’s update to the Red Dead Online Beta introduces Gun Rush, where you’ll put your survival instincts to the test, gathering weapons and ammunition while the play area shrinks in this new mode for up to 32 players. Available to play now in Free-for-all and Team variations, where the last one standing wins," the official press release reads.

Rockstar says more changes are coming soon, with daily challenges being added alongside alterations to the law and parley systems.

Again, from the developer's blog:

  • Daily Challenges: Tackle new challenges each day covering every aspect of the game, from sharpshooting to evading the law.
  • Law and Bounty Upgrades: Some changes are coming to the way the Law and Bounty systems work in Red Dead Online to reduce the enticements for griefing. Soon, players will get a bounty for committing crimes and will be incentivized to pay them off within an allotted time. Wait too long and bounty hunters from each of the states will track the player forcing them to either pay up or escape.
  • Parley Changes: We’re making the Parley system easier to trigger so that you can avoid aggressive players more quickly. In addition, it will be easier to trigger Feuds, Posse Feuds and Leader Feuds to take on attacking players in structured competition.
  • Proximity-Based Player Blips: Player location blips will soon appear only over short distances, reducing the range at which you are visible to others, decreasing the likelihood of being targeted by another player across large areas. Down the line, we’re also looking to introduce the ability to identify players who grief and kill indiscriminately with a progressively darkening blip that becomes more visible and at a longer range, so everyone in a session can identify potentially dangerous opponents at a glance and from a safe distance.

That last point is especially interesting. Players have long been complaining about the fact that you can see other player icons at all times on the map, so hopefully this future update helps with issues like griefing. If you want to go out and kill someone for fun, you're gonna have to actually go and find them.

Rockstar also confirms that Red Dead Online will remain in beta for "a few more months yet", so there should be plenty of time for further adjustments.

[source rockstargames.com]