Rockstar Games isn’t done with the wild west just yet. While fans continue to twiddle their thumbs waiting for Grand Theft Auto VI (and let’s be real, probably Red Dead Redemption III sometime in the next geological era), the publisher has quietly dropped a fresh event for Red Dead Online — and it’s available right now.
Titled ‘Head For The Hills (Dodge a Bullet)’, the new event adds a fast-paced, high-stakes twist to the game’s classic Showdown mode. It’s not a full-blown single-player expansion (don’t get your hopes up), but it is something new for the online crowd still roaming the dusty servers of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Runners vs. Snipers: It’s a Bloodbath in the Hills
Rockstar explains the premise as follows: “Brace for impact in Head for the Hills (Dodge a Bullet), a new high-stakes twist on the classic Red Dead Online Showdown mode.”
In this mode, players are split into two very unequal teams — Runners and Defenders. Runners must race across treacherous terrain to reach their Safehouse. Meanwhile, Defenders will occupy a vantage point with long-range firepower and eliminate the Runners one-by-one.
It’s a gritty setup that turns the serene backdrops of Red Dead into a sniper’s dream or a runner’s nightmare, depending on which side you’re on. Think The Hunger Games, but with cowboy hats and fewer rules.
Triple Rewards & Fishing Discounts (Yes, Really)
The update isn’t just about being hunted across the map. Players can also enjoy 3X Red Dead Online cash and 3X XP for diving into the chaos. In addition, all fishing items are currently available at half-off, which feels oddly wholesome amid all the sharpshooting violence. There are also new weekly rewards up for grabs, giving regular players a little something extra to grind for.
Still No Single-Player Love From Rockstar
While it’s nice to see Rockstar still breathing some life into Red Dead Online, many fans are still nursing the sting of being ignored on the single-player front. With Red Dead Redemption 2 having received no solo DLC, and GTA VI unlikely to see any either, it’s a bleak time for those hoping for story expansions in the vein of GTA IV’s The Ballad of Gay Tony.
As one might sum it up: the wild west is still getting updates, just not the kind of frontier most players were hoping to ride into.
