The CEO of Take-Two Interactive has finally responded to the outcry from fans over the lack of attention given to Red Dead Online by developer Rockstar Games, perhaps proving player complaints aren't being understood. Community frustration over Red Dead Online's slow and unremarkable update schedule has led to a popular hashtag calling for the developers to save Red Dead Online, with many upset that the game has received a lot less content than its GTA counterpart, GTA Online.
Red Dead Online has been a sore spot on the back of Red Dead Redemption 2, which has earned high praise from fans since its launch in 2018. Many have been proclaiming that developer Rockstar Games has neglected the game completely in favor of GTA Online. Since its release in 2019, Red Dead Online has suffered a long stretch of minor updates with little substance, while GTA Online still sees regular updates that add plenty of new content. The hashtag #SaveRedDeadOnline formed around Twitter and Reddit earlier this year, and has continued to gain traction from upset Red Dead Online players. Fans have used this hashtag to vent their concerns that Red Dead Online is a dying game, with its active player count steadily falling since a spike in late January.
Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, spoke to IGN about the controversy, where he clarified that Rockstar was aware of how the community feels. "Rockstar Games talks about the updates that are coming, and we're working on an awful lot at Rockstar Games. I've heard the frustration, it's flattering they want more content, and more will be said by Rockstar in due time," said Zelnick. He also confirmed that Take-Two plans to continue supporting Red Dead Online with future updates and changes, though he did not clarify when that support will come or what it will look like. Rebekah Valentine, a reporter for IGN, later tweeted a follow-up from Take-Two where they clarified that their support does not cover Red Dead Online's content and only accounts for keeping the servers online.
While there are many fans that are thrilled over Zelnick's acknowledgment of the Red Dead Online community's discontent, many others are still skeptical, especially with Zelnick describing player frustrations as flattering, rather than a worrying sign for the game and its users. The interesting choice of word perhaps suggests a misunderstanding of how unhappy lots of Red Dead Online players are, and a lack of clear answer, along with a lack of a roadmap from Rockstar, could paint a grim picture for players.
The unfortunate fact is that Rockstar Games still hasn't commented on the fan outcry, even if Take-Two has. Red Dead Online's current updates contain little more than small weekly bonuses and adjustments to different game types without a clear indication of something larger over the horizon. This leaves plenty of open ground to speculate on Rockstar's future intents and whether any new updates will be enough to make the game more relevant to players. While there is still hope amidst the backlash, Red Dead Online's future still seems fairly uncertain.
Source: IGN , Rebekah Valentine/Twitter