Red Dead Online in 2026: how to buy it, where to start and what’s on right now

Red Dead Online, often searched as “RDR2 Online”, is the multiplayer mode of Red Dead Redemption 2. You create your own character and ride the same Wild West map with other players — up to 32 in one session, according to the PlayStation Store. Online is included in every edition of RDR2, and since December 1, 2020 Rockstar has also sold it as a standalone game.

Where it stands now. On July 7, 2022 Rockstar said on Newswire that Red Dead Online would get no more major themed updates. The press linked this to the studio moving its resources to GTA VI. The last major update was Blood Money (July 13, 2021), and the latest new missions are the four Strange Tales of the West Telegram missions released on July 1, 2025.

The servers still run on PS4, Xbox One and PC, and on PS5 and Xbox Series the online mode works through backward compatibility. Every month Rockstar posts an event package on Newswire: triple or quadruple rewards on selected modes, discounts and free clothing. In 2026 these packages went live on June 2, August 4, September 1, October 6 and November 3. There is no new content, but bonus weeks speed up progress noticeably.

Language: voice acting is English only, which for English-speaking players means the game plays exactly as it was made. More on languages — on the RDR2 languages page.

If you already own Red Dead Redemption 2, you don’t need to buy Red Dead Online separately: it’s part of both the Standard and the Ultimate Edition. The standalone version is for people who only want to play online. Rockstar launched it on December 1, 2020 on PS Store, Microsoft Store, Rockstar Games Launcher, Epic and Steam; Story Mode can be added later as an upgrade.

Prices as of October 31, 2026, according to the PlayStation Store, Steam and the Xbox Store. A full comparison of editions is on the RDR2 price page.

Platforms. PS4, Xbox One and PC. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S you play the last-gen version: Rockstar has not announced a native next-gen version. Details are on the RDR2 platforms page.

Subscription. On PlayStation, online play requires PS Plus at any tier; on Xbox, Game Pass Core or Ultimate. No subscription is needed on PC.

PS Plus. Since May 19, 2026 RDR2, including Red Dead Online, has been in the PS Plus Extra and Premium catalog. According to the PlayStation Store, it stays there until November 17, 2026; after that you’ll need to buy it. RDR2 is not on Xbox Game Pass right now.

Officially, Red Dead Online is a paid game: you get it by buying it in a store or, while it lasts, through the PS Plus catalog.

Red Dead Online is part of RDR2, so the PC requirements are the game’s requirements on Steam:

The game runs on Windows only. For the standalone Red Dead Online, Rockstar quoted a download of up to 123 GB back in 2020. The full breakdown is on the RDR2 system requirements page.

Red Dead Online has two currencies. Dollars (RDO$) come from missions, deliveries and selling pelts and collections; you spend them on weapons, horses and clothing. Gold comes as bars and nuggets — 100 nuggets make one bar. Gold is what unlocks roles.

Roles are specialist careers with their own jobs and progression. The prices below come from guides by GTABase, TheGamer and others; Rockstar hasn’t changed them, but events often bring discounts:

There is no official role ranking. For a first role, guides most often recommend Trader: it brings steady income and opens the way to Moonshiner.

The Strange Tales of the West Telegram missions start with a letter from author Theodore Levin — pick it up at any Post Office or your Camp’s Lockbox, or launch the missions from the Player Menu. That’s how Rockstar describes it on Newswire.

Separate from Red Dead Online, there are RedM roleplay servers on PC, run by Cfx.re, which has been part of Rockstar since 2023. More on the RedM page.

In short: most money comes from roles, Telegram missions, Blood Money contracts and Rockstar’s monthly 3X–4X bonuses. According to rdr2.org and GTABase, a large Trader delivery of 100 goods pays $500 nearby and $625 for a distant delivery. Gold comes from roles, daily challenges, Telegram missions and events.

The best time to grind is when Rockstar boosts rewards for the mode you play. Role prices, the order to unlock them and current bonuses are in our guide how to make money in Red Dead Online in 2026.

On top of the Story Mode breeds (19, according to Rockstar’s 2018 materials), the online mode added a few of its own. Red Dead Wiki lists six: Breton, Criollo, Gypsy Cob, Kladruber, Norfolk Roadster and Scrawny Nag. GTABase counts five, without the Scrawny Nag, and 24 breeds in total.

There is no official “best horse” ranking. In the November event the Kladruber and Missouri Fox Trotter are 50% off. Breeds, types and stables are covered on the RDR2 horses page.

The 37 RDR2 cheat codes only work in Story Mode. In Red Dead Online, according to rdr2.org, none of the phrases do anything. Third-party mod menus and glitches online break Rockstar’s rules and risk an account ban, so we don’t cover them. The Story Mode list is on the RDR2 cheats page.

From November 3 to 30, 2026, Red Dead Online is running a Thanksgiving event for the Trader role. According to Rockstar Newswire (November 3):

• 3X RDO$, XP and Role XP on all Trader sales — Cripps’ goods deliveries — all month;
• 2X Trader Materials for Perfect Carcasses, Pelts, Skins and Hides dropped off at Cripps’ table;
• 3X RDO$ and XP in the Trade Route free roam event, where you defend a train from bandits, for four weeks;
• 10X RDO$ on turkeys sold to the Butcher;
• Hardcore Pro Series is the Featured Series all month: 3X RDO$, Gold and XP;
• the limited-time The Danube and The Tasman outfits are back;
• a free Community-Inspired Outfit by No_Reflection6759 from r/RedDeadFashion at tailors and in the Catalogue: Kennedy Hat, Winter Shotgun Coat, Opulent Vest, Heathland Chaps, Knitted Gloves, Millard Boots, Trimmed Bandana.

Pittman Outfit week by week. The Pittman Shirt is yours for logging in any time in November, and the Pittman Hat (a tricorn) goes to players who own the Trader role and play by November 30. The rest comes from challenges:

• November 3–9: log in twice — Pittman Neckerchief;
• November 10–16: rank up Trader 5 times or reach Trader Rank 10 — Pittman Pants;
• November 17–23: complete a Role Challenge — Pittman Boots;
• November 24–30: rank up Trader 5 times or reach Trader Rank 15 — Pittman Coat and the Prairie Moon Camp Flag;
• Thanksgiving week (November 24–30): the Cordell Outfit and the Coronation Buckle.

Discounts in the November event: 5 Gold Bars off the Butcher's Table; 50% off camp flags and themes, The Danube and The Tasman outfits, the Kladruber and Missouri Fox Trotter, pistol style customization, and shirts, pants and boots.

The October Halloween event ended on November 2, and its bonuses no longer apply. We update this section every month as soon as a new package goes up on Newswire.