A major part of Red Dead Redemption 2 is the multiplayer component, called Red Dead Online. Like Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games had delayed the multiplayer until about a month after launch. Now we know the details of how the beta will roll out this week.
This week Red Dead Online will first be available in beta form to those who purchased the Ultimate Edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 on Tuesday, November 27, at 8:30 am Eastern/11:30 am Pacific.
On Wednesday, Nov. 28, the beta will open up to everyone who played Red Dead Redemption 2 on launch day (Oct. 26). After that, anyone who played within the first three days of release (through Oct. 29) can join in beginning on Thursday, Nov. 29.
The beta will fully open to everyone who owns Red Dead Redemption 2 on Friday, Nov. 30.
This staggered roll out allows Rockstar to steadily increase the server load over the week, though if history is any indication, expect large server woes to accompany your multiplayer cowboy sojourns. As per the official online beta description, “As with most online experiences of this size and scale, there will inevitably be some turbulence at launch. We look forward to working with our amazing and dedicated community to share ideas, help us fix teething problems and work with us to develop Red Dead Online into something really fun and innovative.”
Red Dead Online is freely available to anyone who owns Red Dead Redemption 2 – though you’ll still need either PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to play online.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It’s rated M for Mature.
