Rockstar Games Owner Responds to Save Red Dead Online Campaign
Rockstar Games owner and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has responded to the fan campaign known as #SaveRedDeadOnline. The fan campaign is centered around the frustration of Red Dead Online players after the game stopped receiving notable content updates. Red Dead Online received its last big content update, equivalent to the ones seen in GTA Online, in December 2020 which is just two years after its release. Since then, Rockstar has supported the game with small-scale events, in-game bonuses, and more, but it hasn't been enough to help fans understand why there aren't new updates to a game that feels like it still has a lot of life in it. To date, Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold over 44 million copies and Rockstar has spun Red Dead Online off into a standalone game, meaning there are a ton of potential players for the mode.
Ahead of a recent Take-Two investors call, CEO Strauss Zelnick spoke with IGN about the #SaveRedDeadOnline campaign. Zelnick noted he's aware of the campaign and Rockstar is working on "an awful lot", likely referring to the already confirmed next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, updates for GTA Online, and some heavily rumored remasters. Ultimately, Zelnick noted that it's up to Rockstar to dictate if, when, and how it releases updates for Red Dead Online. He affirmed that there is a plan to support Red Dead Online long-term by maintaining its servers, but it's up to Rockstar to dictate plans for actual updates.
"Rockstar Games talks about the updates that are coming, and we're working on an awful lot at Rockstar Games," said Zelnick. "I've heard the frustration, it's flattering that they want more content, and more will be said by Rockstar in due time."
As of right now, we have no idea if or when Rockstar will talk more about the future of Red Dead Online. Given the prolonged silence regarding the game from Rockstar and the loud response from fans, it's hard to imagine we'll hear anything anytime soon. With Rockstar already confirming that development is underway on the next Grand Theft Auto game, it may not have the resources to split up the team to go work on Red Dead Online. Nonetheless, it would be nice to hear an official response from Rockstar to know for sure what the future of the game holds.
What do you think of the #SaveRedDeadOnline campaign? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.