Red Dead Online players can pick up a weapon for free right now. The only requirement is completing a single Blood Money Contract between October 20 and 26.
Of everything in Rockstar Games’ October schedule, that offer has the shortest window, and it gives lapsed players a reason to return to a game people are still digging into years after release. Red Dead Redemption 2 has stayed relevant in part because of how long Rockstar took to build it. The world offers a lot beyond the main campaign, and a good share of what you’ll run into out on the plains has no connection to the story. Players keep turning up new discoveries.
Halloween takes over the frontier
Rockstar themed the October update around Halloween. Its headline feature is a 4x rewards bonus attached to Strange Tales of the West.
“Haunting season has reached the frontier, treating Red Dead Online players to hefty bonuses for the hair-raising adventures in Strange Tales of the West. Get 4X RDO$, Gold, and XP all month long for investigating these weird and unexplained phenomena that include shambling undead, ornery swamp folk, and reports of artificial life. And that’s merely the beginning… Defend friendly holdouts and survivor settlements in All Hallows’ Call to Arms, unlock rare items from the resurrected Halloween Pass 2, get the red Fernwater Coat for logging in, and more throughout October,” Rockstar Games said.
So you get shambling undead, swamp folk and artificial life, and every one of them pays out four times the usual amount. For anyone who has been looking for an excuse to reinstall, this works.
It takes roughly 30 seconds to begin. Head to a post office or your Camp Lockbox, collect Levin’s letter and open it. The Telegram Missions menu will also start the quests.
Free items arrive in stages
The weapon is one of several giveaways. Wildlife Samples pay out this month as well, and anyone who logged in during the first full week got a free coat.
“Plus, sell Wildlife Samples to Harriet Davenport to get 3X RDO$, Role XP, and XP — as well as earning a Reward for a Free Coat by selling one Wildlife Sample between October 6–12. Also, get your hands dirty completing any Blood Money Contract from October 20–26 to receive a Reward for a Free Weapon,” Rockstar said.
You can no longer claim the coat. The weapon offer is live now and ends on October 26.
Progress from the first Halloween Pass carries over
Players who bought the earlier Halloween pass won’t lose anything. Halloween Pass 2 also launches this week, and it picks up the progress you made in the original.
There are 15 ranks in the pass. The rewards are mostly cosmetic, with clothing and accessories making up the bulk. Rockstar has also cut prices on several in-game services, Halloween masks at Madam Nazar’s among them.
GTA 6 still looms
Rockstar’s larger plans sit in the background for now. Once GTA 6 is out, its profits will fund the studio’s next project. Until then, the calendar could include more remasters and remakes, the widely expected PC ports of GTA 6, and maybe DLC.
Talk of a GTA Online 2.0 continues too. Since the last one launched multiple console generations ago, a new version could draw a large influx of players, and many of them will be looking for something fresh. Rockstar had some trouble with GTA 5 campaign DLC, but it’s unlikely to ignore what this next generation might offer.
For now, Levin’s letter is waiting at the post office, and anyone who completes a Blood Money Contract by October 26 gets a free gun.