Recently, Sony announced a partnership with Rockstar Games that would give PlayStation 4 players “first access to earn select online content” in Rockstar’s forthcoming Red Dead Redemption 2.
The press release mentions “the vast open world of Red Dead Redemption 2” and “a brand new online multiplayer experience,” but it’s unclear if that means the game will receive a multiplayer mode along the lines of Red Dead Redemption‘s original multiplayer or Grand Theft Auto Online, or if Red Dead Redemption 2 will have a completely unique multiplayer mode.
This partnership doesn’t exactly come as a surprise — as I understand it, Red Dead Redemption 2 was originally set to be revealed at Sony’s E3 2016 press conference, but as we now know, it never made an appearance. I don’t know if the early multiplayer content would have been a talking point, nor do I know if there was a reason the game didn’t make the show aside from the traditional Rockstar Games lateness. Regardless of how the initial reveal plan might have fallen through, the Sony and Rockstar partnership has remained intact.
Sony also announced that the original Red Dead Redemption would be coming to the PlayStation Now game streaming service. The PlayStation Now app is currently available on PlayStation 4 and PC, allowing PC players to experience the game for the first time, albeit not in the form they might have expected. Red Dead Redemption was also added to the Xbox One backwards compatibility list this past summer. Sony also promised additional Red Dead Redemption 2 coverage on the PlayStation Blog — it seems like a safe bet to assume we’ll get our first look at the game’s multiplayer there, since PlayStation has a multiplayer-centric co-marketing deal.
Rockstar revealed Red Dead Redemption 2 earlier this month, following up their announcement with a short trailer showcasing the game’s environments. Red Dead Redemption 2 is set for a “Fall 2017” release, which in Rockstar-speak means “Q1 2018,” if you’re very lucky.
