Red Dead Redemption 2 Will Likely Have Microtransactions

While Red Dead Redemption 2 will undoubtedly be one of next year's biggest titles, it's also sure to be one of the most controversial – and not just because of game content.

During a recent investors call earlier this week, 2K confirmed that it was making a great deal of money on Microtransactions for games like Grand Theft Auto Online and NBA 2K17, pretty much confirming that they would serve as part of the business model for future products. And it looks like Red Dead could be affected by that as well, as the game is likely to offer some form of in-game purchases.

Strauss Zelnick, who serves as CEO for Take-Two (the company that operates 2K as well as Rockstar Games), noted that the company is looking at having "recurrent consumer spending opportunities" in future releases.

"We aim to have recurrent consumer spending opportunities for every title that we put out at this company," he noted. "It may not always be an online model, it probably won't always be a virtual currency model, but there will be some ability to engage in an ongoing basis with our titles after release across the board."

That said, the company probably will leave these Microtransactions on the optional side, as it's done with previous games. Whether they'll apply as a pay-to-win practice has yet to be seen.

As far as what kind of Microtransactions Red Dead 2 is likely to offer, there's a good chance they'll be of the decorative variety, where you can outfit your gunslinger with special hats, coats and other gear. Granted, there should be an in-game system where you can earn some of this anyway, but it sounds like Take-Two is leaving the option open, just in case gamers want to try out a purchase.

Whatever the case, there are likely going to be a few folks that aren't too pleased about the business approach, even though Red Dead Redemption 2 should still be an entertaining sequel in its own right. After all, Grand Theft Auto Online's Microtransactions don't take center stage, so there's no reason to change that direction now.

Red Dead Redemption 2 will release in spring 2018 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.