Take-Two CEO Pushes Back Against Suggestion Red Dead Online Was a Missed Opportunity

Strauss Zelnick, the brag of Rockstar Games genitor institution Take-Two, has pushed backmost astatine the proposition Red Dead Online was a missed opportunity, insisting it “has been immensely palmy and agelong lasting.”

Red Dead Online is the standalone multiplayer constituent of Rockstar’s 2018 masterpiece, Red Dead Redemption 2. While Rockstar initially released important updates for the game, the past large contented enlargement for Red Dead Online was the Blood Money update released successful July 2021. Since then, Rockstar has focused connected a monthly lawsuit schedule. Last year’s Strange Tales of the West update came arsenic a invited astonishment that sparked anticipation for much important updates to come, but nary person materialized.

And so, the statement among its assemblage is that Red Dead Online hasn't enjoyed rather the aforesaid magnitude of attraction that GTA Online, the multiplayer constituent of 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V, has. When past month’s Rockstar leak, which came from a information theft by hackers, revealed that GTA Online eclipses Red Dead Online successful presumption of gross and subordinate numbers, fans weren’t amazed astatine all, with galore pointing retired that Red Dead Online hadn’t seen immoderate contented updates successful immoderate time, and that it suffers from a important griefing problem.

Could Red Dead Online person ever matched GTA Online for Take-Two, and should it beryllium considered a missed opportunity? In a caller interrogation with IGN up of its latest fiscal report, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick pushed backmost connected the suggestion, pointing to Red Dead Redemption 2’s unthinkable sales.

“So fto maine beryllium clear,” helium began, “there is virtually thing astir Red Dead selling 85 cardinal units that could awesome a missed opportunity. And Red Dead Online has been immensely palmy and agelong lasting.”

Zelnick went connected to accidental that the feeling astir Red Dead would beryllium precise antithetic it it weren’t for GTA’s unthinkable success.

“I deliberation if we didn't person Grand Theft Auto present astatine our company, past radical would conscionable speech astir the information that we person this monolithic franchise successful Red Dead, which we bash and of which we're precise proud,” helium said. “I really personally deliberation Red Dead is conscionable astonishing and I emotion engaging with it. And I deliberation the crushed it continues to merchantability is that it's conscionable spectacular entertainment. It's beauteous and it feels precise up to day contempt the information that it's not a caller title.”

As portion of Take-Two’s fiscal report, it confirmed Red Dead Redemption 2 had present sold implicit 85 cardinal copies. That means it has officially overtaken Wii Sports to go the 3rd best-selling video crippled of each time, down lone Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto 5 itself, which has present sold an unthinkable 230 cardinal copies. So portion GTA 5 has sold 145 cardinal much copies than Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar’s Wild West escapade is 1 of gaming’s biggest ever hits.

Still, the absorption connected GTA Online implicit Red Dead Online astatine Rockstar volition astir apt ne'er beryllium good with Red Dead Online fans. According to that information leak, Red Dead Online has conscionable shy of 1 cardinal play players, which is simply a immense fig for immoderate game. It’s a huge, ongoing unrecorded work that conscionable doesn’t get meaningful updates.

Indeed, Red Dead Redemption 2's ongoing occurrence lone makes Rockstar's determination not to merchandise a 60fps spot for the modern console mentation much baffling. Fans person for immoderate clip present called connected the developer to update the crippled connected PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, and contempt assorted rumors that specified an upgrade is successful the works, Red Dead Redemption 2 remains stuck astatine 30fps connected current-gen consoles.

There is often speech of Red Dead Redemption 3, which feels similar an inevitability. Late past year, Rockstar Games co-founder and erstwhile pb writer Dan Houser said Red Dead Redemption 3 “will astir apt happen.” And successful 2023, Roger Clark, who played Arthur Morgan, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2, said helium was “certain” fans volition spot Red Dead Redemption 3 “one day,” but qualified that connection by saying helium had nary thought erstwhile that would be.

Even Hollywood histrion Jack Black has had his say, revealing the quality he’d emotion to play successful Red Dead Redemption 3 should it ever happen.

For now, Rockstar’s attraction is squarely connected GTA 6, but possibly erstwhile it’s implicit the motorboat and whatever’s adjacent for GTA Online is retired the door, it volition revisit its iconic Wild West franchise. And if it does, possibly Rockstar volition person a caller mentation of Red Dead Online up its sleeve.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].