'Red Dead Redemption 2 Online' Release Date: Hardcore Fans Get First Dibs

Red Dead Redemption 2 is finally here, but what about its online multiplayer mode? Red Dead Online hasn’t launched just yet, but now we know exactly when you’ll be able to play depending on which version of the game you purchased and when.

Back in September, Rockstar Games revealed plans for an “online connected experience set against the backdrop of Red Dead Redemption 2’s enormous open world.” The new game will take ideas from 2010’s Red Dead Redemption’s multiplayer mode, which let up to 16 people play together online while expanding that concept significantly. Rockstar also noted that you’d be able to play both with friends or “alone,” and promised regular updates as the experience evolves.

As for a release date, Red Dead Online will initially launch in beta on November 27 for anyone who paid extra for the Ultimate Edition. A day later, it will open up to players who cracked open Red Dead Redemption 2 at launch. On Thursday, November 29, fans who started playing from October 26-29 will get access. And, finally, on Friday, November 29, everyone else with a copy of the game will be able to dive into the online beta.

Beyond the idea of a multiplayer experience set in the expansive Wild West world of Red Dead Redemption 2, we don’t really know much about Red Dead Online. However, it’s probably safe to make a few guesses based on what Rockstar’s done with GTA Online (which was similarly included for free with GTAV).

In that case, you can expect constant updates, new items, and plenty of in-app purchases, along with special events timed to the seasons (like a winter update with snow) and in-game events that move the story in new directions. GTA Online also offers various Heists, basically co-operative missions that you can only pull off by working as a team. So we can probably expect something similar from Red Dead Online, though, not necessarily at launch.

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