When Is Red Dead Online Launching? Take-Two Exec Narrows Down A Date

Red Dead Redemption 2's multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, wasn't available when the game launched last month. Instead, it's slated to arrive sometime in November. Now, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has teased when this month the mode may be available.

During an earnings call, Zelnick said Red Dead Online is set to launch "toward the end of the month." That's not entirely specific, but it's the first time we're hearing anything about when in November Red Dead Online will release.

Red Dead Online will be released initially in beta form, and developer Rockstar Games is expecting some hiccups and other teething problems. As for what the mode actually entails, we've heard very little; you can read about what we hope to see in Red Dead Online. Rockstar summed it up this way:

"Using the gameplay of the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 as a foundation, Red Dead Online will be ready to be explored alone or with friends, and will also feature constant updates and adjustments to grow and evolve this experience for all players."

Launching near the end of November means Red Dead Online may release around the Thanksgiving holiday in the US and the Black Friday bonanza shopping season.

The Red Dead Redemption 2 Achievements/Trophy lists contain some clues about what to expect from Red Dead Online. The "Series Major" achievement is earned by taking part in a Series, whatever that is. Another achievement is unlocked for accepting a certain number of Free Roam missions, while Red Dead Online will also have some kind of a numerical ranking system. There will also be "posses" in Red Dead Online, and you can earn an achievement for successfully countering a rival posse's free roam mission, but it's not exactly clear what that means. You'll also be able to purchase camp improvements in Red Dead Online.

Like GTA Online with GTA V, Red Dead Online is a free experience for everyone who buys Red Dead Redemption 2. The mode is expected to feature microtransactions as part of Take-Two's ambition to put microtransactions in pretty much all of its games. GTA Online was and continues to be a tremendous commercial success, and Red Dead Online looks to continue that.

The staggered release between base game and its online mode is nothing new for Rockstar. The studio's previous title, Grand Theft Auto V, launched on September 17, 2013, with its online mode--GTA Online--arriving about two weeks later on October 1.

Red Dead Redemption 2 has shipped 17 million copies, and it needed just eight days to surpass the number of copies the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption shipped in eight years.

Are you looking forward to Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode? Let us know in the comments below!