Red Dead Online: Missed Opportunity? CEO Disagrees

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has rejected the notion that Red Dead Online represents a missed opportunity, calling the multiplayer component “immensely successful and long lasting.” In an interview ahead of the company’s latest financial report, Zelnick pointed to the outstanding sales of Red Dead Redemption 2 as evidence. The 2018 title has now sold over 85 million copies, making it the third best-selling video game of all time behind only Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto V, which itself has reached 230 million units sold.

Red Dead Online’s last major content expansion was the Blood Money update in July 2021. Since then, Rockstar has maintained a monthly event schedule, with the surprise addition of Strange Tales of the West in 2024 as the only significant new content. A data leak from a Rockstar/Take-Two hack revealed that Grand Theft Auto Online far outstrips Red Dead Online in revenue and player numbers, though Red Dead Online still attracts just under 1 million weekly players—a substantial audience for any live service. The game’s community has long complained about a griefing problem, the comparative lack of updates, and the absence of a 60 fps patch for Red Dead Redemption 2 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Zelnick acknowledged that Red Dead’s success is often overshadowed by Grand Theft Auto’s extraordinary performance. “If we didn’t have Grand Theft Auto here at our company, then people would just talk about the fact that we have this massive franchise in Red Dead,” he said. He added that Red Dead Redemption 2 continues to sell well because it remains “spectacular entertainment” that feels current despite its age.

Red Dead Redemption 2

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