RDR2 mods only work on PC and only in Story Mode: here's how to install them safely

Rockstar doesn't officially support RDR2 mods, but it doesn't forbid them for single-player on PC either. On September 10, 2026, the company updated its Mod Guidelines page. The key points:

• mods must be non-commercial; you can only earn money from mods through the official Creator Platform;
• you may not alter the official story, missions or characters;
• you may not use the voices of Rockstar's actors;
• you may not move maps, characters or assets from one Rockstar game to another;
• you may not port games to platforms where they weren't officially released;
• no cheat menus or mods online; multiplayer mods only through the licensed Creator Platform;
• Rockstar doesn't endorse third-party mods and can require any of them to be taken down.

Earlier, in 2017, Take-Two said it generally doesn't pursue single-player, non-commercial PC mods that don't infringe anyone's rights. Rockstar Support's help article on story mode mods now points to the Mod Guidelines.

1. Back up the game folder, or at least the files you'll replace, plus your saves.
2. Check the game version. After RDR2 updates, script mods often stop working until the authors of Script Hook and the mods release compatible versions. If your RDR2 mods are not working, that's the most common reason.
3. Only get mods from well-known sites with comments and a version history. Don't run .exe "installers" of unknown origin.
4. Read the mod's requirements. Some mods are just an .asi file in the game's root folder, others need Script Hook RDR2, others Lenny's Mod Loader, and hybrids need both.
5. Add one at a time. Check that the game launches, then add the next. That makes it easier to find the mod that breaks things.
6. Disable mods before Red Dead Online, or don't launch online on a modded copy at all.

As a rule, Script Hook files go into the folder with RDR2.exe, and LML mods go into the lml folder inside the game directory. Exact instructions are always on the specific mod's page, so follow those. We don't link to downloads.

Common mod types are trainers (menus with features like changing the weather or time), graphics packs, outfits and horses. There are car mods too; if they bring models over from GTA, that goes against Rockstar's rule on moving content between games.

Red Dead Online is an online game with an economy, and any modifications are banned there. "Money", "gold" and cheat menus for online break Rockstar's rules and get accounts banned, and programs that promise them often turn out to be malware. Story Mode cheat codes don't work online either.

Script Hook RDR2 closes the game itself if you try to go online with it, a safeguard against accidental bans. Other mods may not have that protection.

RedM is a platform from the Cfx.re team that lets you run your own roleplay (RP) servers on the PC version of RDR2, separate from Red Dead Online. On August 11, 2023, Rockstar announced that the Cfx.re team (makers of FiveM for GTA V and RedM) had officially become part of Rockstar Games. Rockstar's support site has a dedicated section for the FiveM and RedM communities.

RedM requires a legitimate copy of RDR2 on PC. The rules of each server are set by its admins.

There aren't any. Console versions don't allow game files to be changed, and the "PS5 mods" promised by websites or videos are either cheat codes or a scam. The closest thing to mods on console is the official RDR2 cheats: they give you weapons, horses, money and even a circus wagon, though they disable saving.

PC system requirements are on the RDR2 system requirements page. GTA 5 mods are a separate topic with different tools. Everything about the game is on the Red Dead Redemption 2 page.