Years after being left for dead, Rockstar surprises fans with new undead missions—and hints at more to come, possibly tied to Red Dead Online’s next-gen upgrade.
Red Dead Online hasn’t had any updates in three years, and a lot of people thought Rockstar had given up on the game. However, the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 has just received its first major content update since 2022, which came as a surprise to many. It has also brought new life back to the dry plains of the West.
The update adds four new Telegram missions that are mostly supernatural. It’s called “Strange Tales of the West: Volume 1.” The missions, which were ordered by a mysterious author named Theodore Levin, take players into creepy, uncharted territory. The most terrifying is Strange Tales of the Plague, which puts you in an Armadillo full of zombies, a clear nod to the popular Undead Nightmare expansion from the first Red Dead Redemption.
Even better? There is no cost to do the missions. There were no microtransactions or paywalls. Instead, new and interesting content was added to a game that many people had given up on. This update is the most important thing to happen to Red Dead Online in years, and fans are already talking about what it means.
People are really talking about Rockstar’s ads, which only have one word: “Volume 1.” That makes it very likely that there will be more content soon, whether it’s a themed series of supernatural missions or something even bigger. Is it possible that Red Dead Online is making a full comeback? Is this just a short burst of content to get people excited about something else?
The timing is not a mistake. There have been rumors for months about a possible next-gen patch for Red Dead Redemption 2 that would enable the game to work with new consoles, such as the PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X. Earlier this year, several news sources reported that the update might be released in the second half of 2025. This could happen at the same time as the long-awaited release of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is said to be getting its own version of Red Dead Redemption.
That idea fits with what Rockstar is doing. Adding new online content now could do two things: get people interested in Red Dead Online again and pave the way for a re-release of Red Dead Redemption 2 with better graphics, faster loading times, and higher frame rates. This is a smart business move that will give Rockstar more time to get their crown jewel, Grand Theft Auto VI, ready for its own spotlight.
As of right now, fans are cautiously positive. In any case, Rockstar hasn’t always been there to support Red Dead Online. But this new update has given people hope again. Not only are the missions well-made and nostalgic, but they also show that the developers haven’t given up on the online part of the franchise just yet.
Without a doubt, Strange Tales: Volume 1 is either the beginning of a full-on comeback or just the last ride into the sunset before the next-gen wave hits. Red Dead Online isn’t quite dead yet.
And since zombies are back on the loose, that might be the point.
