Upcoming Red Dead Online Beta Update Brings Exclusive Content

By Rebecca Smith,

The Online Beta rolled out at the end of November. Since then, the team at Rockstar has been relasing updates for the mode with new content alongside fixes and other improvements. Next week, the team will be introducing another update that adds more game modes, weapons, clothing, emotes, and more.

The Fool's Gold Free Roam Event is a battle over a suit of Golden Armor. Players compete to take down the person wearing the armor, while the person wearing it gets points for every kill during that period. There will also be three new Showdown Modes — Up in Smoke, Spoils of War, and Plunder. Players and teams will capture and deliver bags, as well as stealing loot from each other. More details on these modes have been promised later.

Target Races will be introduced. Players must race to the finish line, passing through checkpoints and shooting targets as they go. Finally, there will be Fishing Challenges separated by type. Once a player has chosen to take on a specific challenge, they'll get all of the equipment needed to complete it, including rod and specific lures/bait. You'll just have to choose your fishing spot and catch the highest total weight of fish. While taking on the challenges, other "trigger-happy outlaws" won't be able to take you down.

In terms of weapons, B.D. and Co.'s Evans Repeater rifle and D.D. Packenbush's double-barreled longarm Rare Shotgun will both be available from the Wheeler & Rawson Catalogue, as well as gunsmiths throughout the game. Both weapons will have "an antique style faded brass finish and an artfully adorned stock". More clothing will arrive in the form of new Outfits, Jackets, Boots, Coats, Gloves, Hats, and Vests, such as the Diamondback Hat and the Rutledge Vest. There will also be unique special items that will be added to the inventory in some shops and the Catalogue for a limited amount of time. Meanwhile, new Emotes will include reactions and taunts.

PlayStation 4 players will have early access to Open Target Races in addition to the new Target Races for everyone. The Open Target Races place players into an open area where the aim is to take out the most targets. There will also be early access to the Jawbone Knife — a "unique melee weapon with a handle artfully carved from the remains of a slain animal’s jaw" — as well ass new clothing and three Emotes.

There's also a whole host of improvements and balances arriving with the patch. To get the full details on improvements to player visibility on the map, bounty hunters, daily challenges and more, check out our previous coverage.

Finally, before the update arrives, players who take part in the Red Dead Online Beta this week will get a 20% XP bonus on all activities. The team also promises "new bonuses, giveaways, promotions and content updates" on a weekly basis. The update will be released on February 26th.

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Written by Rebecca Smith

Rebecca is the Newshound Manager at TrueGaming Network. She has been contributing articles since 2010, especially those that involve intimidatingly long lists. When not writing news, she works in an independent game shop so that she can spend all day talking about games too. She'll occasionally go outside.