Red Dead Online‘s first substantial update since leaving beta in May is almost upon us. Later this summer, players can acquire specialist roles that Rockstar describes as “unique paths of progression” with each providing unique gameplay experiences and benefits.
The Bounty Hunter role is pretty self-explanatory. Bounty Hunters track and capture targets (or kill them), and sometimes a nearby player with a high enough bounty can be designated as a target. Progressing as a Bounty Hunter will unlock new abilities like the ability to use Eagle-Eye while sprinting and galloping on horseback as well as an array of new items like a reinforced lasso that people will have a harder time breaking out of. You can also learn cool gun-spinning tricks, which will be nice for showing off.
Becoming a Trader allows you to run a business out of your Camp. You’ll collect materials and produce goods to sell, eventually unlocking a weapons locker and stew pot for your Camp as you progress. Not only that, but you’ll also be able to recruit a “canine companion” to warn of impending attacks on your Camp. As for gear, progressing as a Trader will unlock an improved satchel and new assets that can prove useful to your business like hunting wagons to bring in larger hauls of hunted animals.
Being a Collector will task you with exploring the world of Red Dead Online for rare and valuable items including lost jewelry, rare arrowheads, and other treasures. Progressing as a Collector will net you several items to help you search the land for valuables like Refined Binoculars, a Horse Lantern, and a Metal Detector as well as some new skills and abilities that will help you discover hidden treasures.
These are just the first three roles to be added to Red Dead Online, and it is heavily implied that more will come in the future. Not only that, but more information about these three roles will come in the weeks leading up to the update’s release. Progressing one role will not lock you out of the others, and you can be a bounty hunting trader that wanders the land collecting treasures if you’d like.
“This fundamental change points to the long term future of Red Dead Online,” wrote Rockstar in an announcement post. “A world where players coexist in an uneasy peace, choosing to band together or striking out alone, fighting to survive in a world full of threats and opportunities as they build a life for themselves on the frontier.” Roles will make players feel more attached to their character and the world of Red Dead Online, and they will hopefully add depth to a game that is sorely in need of more content.
Outside of roles, Rockstar has also detailed a number of tweaks and changes being made to improve the overall Red Dead Online experience. Changes are being made to the game’s heavily criticized combat and movement to make them feel more responsive and natural. Defensive mode players will take less damage in the future, and the game will remember your preferred playing style and start you in that mode when you boot up the game. Lootable items are also being added to Red Dead Online, so holding up wagons will actually net you lootable chests and other valuables now instead of being a waste of time. Also, the next update will finally allow players to reset their character’s appearance, which has been begged for repeatedly by the Red Dead Online community.
There isn’t a confirmed release date for this update yet, but it’s scheduled to launch sometime later this summer.
