Red Dead Onlineshould have been another enormous success for Rockstar in the same way thatGTA Onlinewas. After all, it had a huge fan base who wanted nothing more than to head back into the wonderfully realized Wild West ofRed Dead Redemption 2and experience new content, as well as the backing of a talented developer with a lot of resources. To many, it felt like there was no way thatRed Dead Onlinecould fail, and yet, in 2025, its player counts are dwindling.
Red Dead Onlinenever saw the same success asGTA Online, and that is a shame. However, it has led many to wonder whetherRDOis worth savingin 2025, or indeed, whether it’s worth playing for newcomers. After a fairly lengthy run -Red Dead Onlinelaunched in 2019 - there is a lot to experience for both dedicated fans and those who are completely new to bothRed Dead Redemptionand its online counterpart. Of course,lots of content doesn’t always translate to a completely enjoyable experience.
Rockstar Has Abandoned It
Red Dead Online’scurrent player base - which sits at just over 1,000 daily players on Steam, according toSteam Charts- is not happy with the state of the game.Ever since Rockstar stopped updating the game back in 2022, fans have been left with what often feels like an unfinished experience, one with a lot of undelivered potential that’s more tantalizing than fun. This has even led several players to start apetition to saveRDOin the hopes that it will get Rockstar’s attention.
Rockstar had always struggled with balancing the game’s microtransactions with its level of enjoyable content, releasing numerous updates that added more interesting roles but cost too much to unlock and ended up not delivering the intended experience. This was made worse by the rate at which players would unlock the premium currency in-game, which Rockstar constantly made harder and harder to get. Players had to grind activity after activity for hours on end just to scrape together enough money to unlock the latest role.
What If Red Dead Redemption 3 Isn’t A Western?
While most speculate that Red Dead Redemption 3 will be another prequel, it would be far more interesting if the theater moves into a new era.
These new roles often weren’t particularly fun either. This is best seen in themaligned Blood Money update, which introduced heists and other criminal activities, something the community had been asking for, but offered far too few of them, and did little to make their set-ups interesting.All of this culminated in a disappointing online experience, albeit one with plenty of amazing features as well.
It Fulfills That Cowboy Sandbox Itch
There’s a reason whyRDOhas a dedicated fanbase. WhileRed Dead Online’spotential was largely squandered,the foundations of its cowboy sandbox are still immensely enjoyable. Roaming the Wild West with a friend never gets old, especially in a world as detailed and enormous asRed Dead Online’s, and the handful of activities that are fun, as few and far between as they can be, can be invigorating to experience.
Red Dead Onlineallows players to keep existing withinRDR2’sworld, if only a bit longer, and there’s something undeniably special about that.
It is also the only real way of continuing one’s adventure after completingRed Dead Redemption 2. Despite the finality ofRDR2’snarrative, that desire to be completely immersed in its breathtaking world remains unceasing. Players will always feel the draw of that sprawling landscape with its mesmerizing nature and calming serenity and want more reasons to keep exploring it.Red Dead Onlineallows players to keep existing withinRDR2’sworld, if only a bit longer, and there’s something undeniably special about that.
It Might Be Worth Saying Goodbye
Red Dead Onlineis worth playing, but only for a very specific group of people, and likely not for very long. Thanks to the discontinued updates and the general lack of quality thatGTA Onlineis blessed with,Red Dead Onlineis hard to recommend to people who don’t have a pre-existing attachment to its world and setting. It is a perfectly functional, yet often unenjoyable and grindy experience that’s not particularly beginner-friendly, and evidentially doesn’t respect its loyal players who’ve stuck around since 2019.
After Playing Red Dead Redemption For 200 Hours, I’m Convinced RDR3 Will Follow This Character
There is a lot of evidence that Rockstar was setting up the protagonist for RDR3 all along, and it was right under our noses the whole time.
However, for those who have just wrappedRed Dead Redemption 2, wiped the tears from their eyes, and are setting their sights on thenext best cowboy game, thenRed Dead Onlinemight be the perfect fit. It isn’t an amazing game, but the foundations that makeRDR2’sexploration so enjoyable are there. Having more time in its incredibly immersive world is a genuine delight and one that fans who are eager for more should enjoy.Red Dead Onlineisn’t for everyone in 2025, but it is for those who appreciate the beauty ofRed Dead Redemption 2’sworld.
