In a new interview with vg247, Rockstar Games talks about the future of Red Dead Online and commitment to it and not working on single-player DLC. Recently, Rockstar Games released the newest update for Red Dead Online, Frontier Pursuits which introduces new roles that players can choose from among other things.
One of the things that were discussed is the difference between GTA Online and Red Dead Online. The most obvious difference between the two is the setting. Lead Open-World Designer Scott Butchard said “Red Dead for us is an opportunity to try something different, try something new, and really let players have an experience of living in this 19th century America; Which for us, it’s definitely a different place to what GTA offers. It’s a lot slower, it’s a lot more intimate, and we just really wanted to build up slowly bit for bit, so the player really feels progression. Whereas GTA is much more faster paced.”
Another talking point includes how the changes that have been made to Red Dead Online such as roles are all in an effort to make Red Dead Online more like its single-player story. Lead Online Production Associate Katie Pica said “We felt the initial ones were just a great starting point because they do complement each other. Like having the high-action gunslinging for the Bounty Hunter, the world exploration for the Collector, and then business management for the Trader. We love the fact that they can actually all be played in tandem, and on path, en route to say capturing a bounty, you might find a collectible. But obviously, players can also just focus on one role, if that’s how they want to play it. They can fully embody that life of the Bounty Hunter if they choose. And going forward, we want players to feel as connected as possible to their character. We’ve got lots of ideas about how we can develop that further.”
Katie Pica also discusses what goes into how Rockstar plans future content. “When planning future roles and other content, we think about the world in key areas: exploration, capitalism, wildlife and nature, pastimes, and bounty hunting style activities, which are an offshoot of the law, depending on how honorable you play. We love the idea that at some point a highly ranked bounty hunter could become a lawman. So far the roles have touched on a few of those ideas, but there’s a lot more to do.”
Rockstar Games also discussed the idea of single-player DLC for Red Dead Redemption 2. Katie Pica said “We’re 100% focused on online right now, because like I said, there’s just so much to do, and we’re just hoping to bring everything that a player can love about single-player into the online world, and fleshed out.”
Online Producer Tarek Hamad said “We’ve said it before, but we all love single-player games, and Red Dead Redemption 2’s absolutely massive story and equally massive epilogue are hopefully evidence of that. The team’s ambitions for Red Dead Redemption 2 were sky high in every way, and when we are building worlds of that scale, the single-player experience almost always leads the way. Our ambitions for our online games are just as high, and with Red Dead Online we are continuing to build and expand to match the world we created for Red Dead Redemption 2’s story, not just with the roles but other activities, new random events, characters to meet, new ways to engage with the world and further inhabit your character, as well as trying to improve the overall experience.”