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.

This week, the bond between horse and rider takes center stage in Red Dead Online with a free Horse Care Package simply for playing, plus discounts on Stable Space, Horses and more.

New Clothing

Riders on the frontier should look good doing it. The Wheeler, Rawson And Co. Catalogue has a selection of new items that are perfect for gunslingers looking to impress on the frontier. Shield your scalp with the stylishly wide brim of the Descoteaux Hat, don some hardwearing hide from south of the border with the Alvarado Chaps and strap a pair of elegant Gerden Morrow Spursto your boots to complete the ensemble. All three items are permanent additions to the catalogue, starting this week.

Meanwhile, the Cossack Hat remains available through the rest of the week - perfect for anyone looking to keep their ears warm in the harsher climes up North.

Discounts

The bond between horse and rider is strong, but it’s important to have the right steed for the task. Riders seeking to purchase a new mount for their ventures are in luck - Stables across the states are offering 20% off Stable Spaces to help expand your collection. You’ll also get 20% off all horses under Rank 40 like the Flaxen Roan Tennessee Walker pictured above. 

Horse Care Package

Your horse's unwavering loyalty deserves its reward. This week, all players will receive a Horse Care Package - which includes Horse Reviver, a useful curative compound that you can keep handy in your Satchel in the unwanted event of your steed becoming seriously injured or incapacitated, 2 Horse Medicine that refill your horse’s health with a gold outer bar and 2 Horse Stimulants that grant a gold outer bar to your horse’s Stamina for those long rides through the open country, plus 5 Oatcakes, 5 Hay and 5 Carrots, to make sure your hooved companion is well fed.

Twitch Prime Sign-Up Benefits

As a reminder, Twitch Prime members have until this Friday, July 19th to link their Social Club accounts and receive RDO$300. Those who miss the deadline will still be able to claim the Superior Ammo Bundle that includes Dynamite Arrows, as well as a host of other exciting benefits yet to be announced for both Red Dead Online and GTA Online.

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