Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.

America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.

After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.

Built from the ground up for the latest hardware, Red Dead Online blends the classic multiplayer of the original Red Dead Redemption with the best of everything we have learned since then about creating deep multiplayer experiences. The result is something completely new and fun, and an experience that will continue to expand and evolve over time as we gain valuable feedback from our community in the Beta period.

Now that everyone has had a chance over the past month to experience the story of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang in Red Dead Redemption 2, it is time to begin the beta period for Red Dead Online.

Built from the ground up for the latest hardware, Red Dead Online blends the classic multiplayer of the original Red Dead Redemption with the best of everything we have learned since then about creating deep multiplayer experiences. The result is something completely new and fun, and an experience that will continue to expand and evolve over time.

With the gameplay of Red Dead Redemption 2 as its foundation, Red Dead Online transforms the vast and deeply detailed landscapes, cities, towns and habitats of Red Dead Redemption 2 into a new, living online world ready to be shared by multiple players. Create and customize your character, tailor your abilities to suit your play style and head out into a new frontier full of things to experience.

Explore the world solo or with friends. Form or join a Posse to ride with up to seven players; gather around the fire at your Camp; head out hunting or fishing; visit bustling towns; battle enemy gangs and attack their hideouts; hunt for treasure; take on missions and interact with familiar characters from across the five states; or fight against other outlaws in both spontaneous skirmishes and pitched set-piece battles; compete with other players or whole Posses in open world challenges and much more.

New content continues to be added to the Red Dead Beta in advance of the upcoming update later this Spring. This week’s gameplay addition is Target Races: a fast-paced mix of marksmanship, strategy and horse-riding skills.

Target Races pit players against each other in a checkpoint-based race to first with a bevy of targets and weapons along the way. PlayStation 4 players also have early access to Open Target Races, a target-focused spin on Target Races launched directly through Special Series icon.

Please see below for further details, along with info on the 20% XP boost across all XP earning activities from Free Roam Missions to hunting game, clearing Hideouts or playing through the Land of Opportunities story missions and more, as well as info on Horse Care discounts and the latest shipment of clothing.

Target Races

Shoot targets while on horseback to pass checkpoints while racing and be first to finish in Target Races, today's addition to the Red Dead Online Beta.

All players start out with a bow and arrow – as you race, each target you hit will increase your Horse’s Stamina – but you can also take advantage of strategic pickups along the courses. Ride through Stamina pickups to extend your Horse’s sprinting time or quickly recover from a drained Horse Stamina core. Weapons pickups dole out firearms with limited ammo supplies – use a shotgun blast to quickly and easily takeout a checkpoint target or turn that weapon against your competition. While players can lock-on to checkpoint targets, using weapons against other competitors will require proficiency with free-aim. If you’re trailing behind, ride in your competitor’s slipstream to regenerate Horse Stamina quickly and gain a slight speed boost, or if you’re defending a lead you can kick your competitors to reduce their Horse Stamina levels with a slight chance of being able to knock them down. Launch Target Races from the Landing Page menu, using the Quick Join option or riding to a Featured Series sign post.

Open Target Races

PlayStation 4 players get early access to Open Target Races, where you compete in an open space to take out all targets then race to the finish. You’re free to shoot targets in any order you wish, just keep an eye on how quickly your competition is knocking out targets and use the mini-map to know which target to hit next. PS4 players will also see the Special Series icon appear on the game map; the Special Series will appear whenever there is a PS4 early access mode and launch players directly into a series.

XP Boosts

Whether you’re shooting your way through a Target Race, helping folks in need in Free Roam Missions, clearing Hideouts, hunting game, crafting supplies, or choosing the honorable (or dishonorable) path in A Land of Opportunities, the Red Dead Online Beta is dishing out a 20% boost on all XP earning activities.

Discounts

You can also take off 25% from everything in the Horse Care Section at the Stables and in the Wheeler, Rawson & Co Catalogue including medicines, revivers, stimulants and the trusty brush. Higher ranked players can always upgrade their saddles with 25% off Improved Saddles. Plus, look for the latest shipments of frontier worthy clothing:

• Morning Tail Coat
• Strickland Boots
• Bowyer Boots (Female only)
• Furred Gloves

Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently available for PS4 and Xbox One.