Fans ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s online multiplayer aspectRed Dead Onlinehave been frustrated with developer Rockstar for some time now. Players see Rockstar’s continued support ofGrand Theft Auto Onlineand wonder why it has seemingly stopped putting out new content forRed Dead Online. They haven’t given up hope yet, however. And according to a new leak, their continued push for further updates may be rewarded.
Red Dead Onlinerecently received a small, disappointing update that was said to improve the security of themultiplayer game. While the update itself was nothing worth mentioning, dataminers were able to discover some interesting changes withinRed Dead Online’s files. The reference refers to “rustling_owner_dead” and a string of text that reads “This ranch has been abandoned by its owners. Come back later.” Obviously, that’s not a persuasive piece of evidence regarding a future content update, but it’s enough to stir up some speculation.
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The definition of “rustling” is to round up or steal cattle, horses, or sheep and is often associated with ranching and the western genre in general. Rustling isn’t an official feature, as in there’s no complex system built around stealing horses or other animals to reward the behavior. It’s easy to see how such a feature would fit in theworld ofRed Dead Online, though.
Coincidentally, this isn’t the first time that dataminers have found a reference to “rustling” inRed Dead Online’s files, either. In 2021, a multiplayer map icon blip was found for rustling. The little black and white icon featured a small house shape with walls and a roof with what must be a rustler wearing a cowboy hat and bandana over their mouth inside. The blip is not in use inRed Dead OnlineorRed Dead Redemption 2, leading some to speculate it’s for future content.
There are alternative explanations for rustling to be mentioned inRed Dead Online, of course. The most likely of which is that rustling was a featureRockstarwas working on and then canceled, which would explain why references to it are being found inRed Dead Online’s code. It could be a part of another feature, too, and the name is being misinterpreted.
It’s not right to ruin the optimism ofRed Dead Onlineplayers, however. Here’s hoping that the datamined references to rustling indicate that a new job is being worked on by Rockstar for release in a futureRed Dead Onlineupdate. Players may soon find themselves stealing farm animals for profit.
Red Dead Onlineis available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
