Overview
- On Tuesday Take-Two chief Strauss Zelnick told IGN that Red Dead Online is not a "missed opportunity" and called the mode "immensely successful and long lasting" after Red Dead Redemption 2 surpassed 85 million sales.
- Reported leaked Rockstar data from recent weeks showed Red Dead Online generating about $500,000 per week versus roughly $9.5 million per week for GTA Online, a disparity cited by analysts as a key reason for different support levels.
- Rockstar effectively stopped major Red Dead Online updates after the July 2021 Blood Money drop and publicly shifted development toward GTA Online and the then-in-progress GTA 6, with only a smaller 2025 Strange Tales of the West content drop since.
- Many players and commentators say Red Dead Online has felt underserved compared with GTA Online, leaving a vocal community frustrated by the lack of sustained new content and developer attention.
- The contrast highlights how live-service economics shape studio choices because recurring revenue funds ongoing updates; Rockstar has not confirmed a full-scale return to active Red Dead Online development so future support remains uncertain.