In an unexpected twist for fans, Rockstar Games rolled out a hefty Red Dead Online update this July, breathing fresh life into its sprawling Western world after years of relative quiet.
As highlighted by GameRant, this marks the most significant content addition since the studio officially slowed development on Red Dead Online back in July 2022, shifting most of its energy towards Grand Theft Auto 6.
Three years later, the label of “major update” appears to have been quietly redefined. Dubbed “Strange Tales of the West”, the new content drop introduces four Telegram missions that lean heavily into eerie folklore. Players are hired by Theodore Levin, a writer intrigued by supernatural oddities, to probe these mysteries.
The standout is “Strange Tales of the Plague”, which sends players into a version of Armadillo teeming with zombies — a chilling nod to the beloved Undead Nightmare expansion from the earlier Red Dead Redemption title.
As noted by GameRant, this haunting mission has reignited old calls on social platforms for Red Dead Redemption 2 to receive its own full-fledged Undead Nightmare sequel. Yet six years on from the game’s original 2018 release, such hopes seem slim.
What is clear, however, is that Rockstar might not be done with Red Dead Online just yet. The promotional branding of the current update as “Strange Tales of the West Volume 1” strongly hints at more instalments.
When players might see “Volume 2” remains uncertain. This return of focus on Red Dead Online surprises many, especially given Rockstar’s reported all-hands drive to complete Grand Theft Auto 6.
Industry watchers speculate it could tie into the long-rumoured next-generation patch for Red Dead Redemption 2, said to be potentially dropping later this year, according to a May piece by Gamereactor. For now, though, cowboys can saddle up for new thrills, and at no extra cost.
