Fans are throwing an in-game funeral in Red Dead Online to commemorate one year of bad updates, implying that Rockstar's online Western game is dead. Red Dead Online was launched alongside the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018 but failed to get as much attention as Rockstar's other online open-world title, Grand Theft Auto Online, which received new story content featuring Dr. Dre as recently as last year. With no significant Red Dead Online updates releasing in 2022, many have come to believe that the developer has let the title fall by the wayside as it continues to add further updates and improvements to GTA Online instead.
Red Dead Online fans have been vocal about their disappointment with how the title has been handled in the past, with many pointing out that the last update, Blood Money, which offered up brand-new crime and robbery activities, was nearly a year ago. Rockstar has announced a July 2022 patch with a free community event, referring to missions that can be granted by strangers in the open world while offering extra RDO$ and XP on some challenges alongside some free weapons and items. However, this July 2022 update is almost entirely made up of discounts and offers very little in terms of new gameplay or story experiences. Many had come to the conclusion that making money in Red Dead Online was pointless due to the lack of content, and with the game's content drought set to continue, this has only added to the fanbase's discontent.
As a result, fan-page Red Dead News has organized an in-game funeral for Red Dead Online, which will take place on July 13, a year after the title's previous update, which has been deemed the game's "abandonversary". As reported by Game Rant, Red Dead News even tweeted the Rockstar Games' official account in response to its tweet about the July 2022 community event inviting the developer to the funeral. YouTube content creator PVP Cat pointed out that Red Dead News' funeral invitation managed to amass more likes than Rockstar's initial tweet, essentially "ratioing" the developer as a clear sign of the fanbase's frustration. The funeral wouldn't be the first time Red Dead Online players protested Rockstar's neglect for the game either, with some in the community previously donning clown outfits during a similar content drought in 2020.
While Rockstar appears to have all but abandoned Red Dead Online, the fan community seems intent on keeping the title alive, with the modding community adding updates to improve both Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online's already impressive visuals, while adding new gameplay mechanics such as overhauled law systems. Many fans have wondered if a new-gen update would bring similar improvements to current consoles, especially in the wake of Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online's recent re-release. However, there has been no official word from Rockstar on such a project being in the works, with the studio rumored to be focusing on the now officially confirmed GTA 6.
It is yet to be seen how many players will choose to give up on Red Dead Online following its impending in-game funeral, considering its year of little-to-no updates. Although a potential new-gen update could entice players on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X back to the online Western title, the damage already seems to be done in the eyes of the Red Dead Online community.
Sources: Red Dead News/Twitter (2), OnlyPVPCat/Twitter (via. Game Rant)