A free weapon is waiting for you in Red Dead Online. You just have to finish one Blood Money Contract between October 20 and 26 to get it.
That’s the most time-sensitive piece of Rockstar Games’ October lineup, and it’s a good excuse to go back to a game that people are still exploring years after launch. Red Dead Redemption 2 has stayed relevant partly because Rockstar spent so long building it. There’s plenty to do outside the main campaign, and much of what’s out there on the plains has nothing to do with the story. Fans are still finding new things in it.
Rockstar went heavy on Halloween
The October update is built around Halloween, and the main event is a 4x rewards bonus tied to Strange Tales of the West.
“Haunting season has reached the frontier, treating Red Dead Online players to hefty bonuses for the hair-raising adventures in Strange Tales of the West. Get 4X RDO$, Gold, and XP all month long for investigating these weird and unexplained phenomena that include shambling undead, ornery swamp folk, and reports of artificial life. And that’s merely the beginning… Defend friendly holdouts and survivor settlements in All Hallows’ Call to Arms, unlock rare items from the resurrected Halloween Pass 2, get the red Fernwater Coat for logging in, and more throughout October,” Rockstar Games said.
Shambling undead, swamp folk and artificial life, all with a quadruple payout attached. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to reinstall, that’s a decent one.
Getting started takes about 30 seconds. Go to a post office (or your Camp Lockbox), pick up Levin’s letter and open it. You can also launch the quests from the Telegram Missions menu.
The freebies come on a schedule
The free weapon isn’t the only giveaway. Wildlife Samples also pay out this month, and there was a free coat for anyone who logged in during the first full week.
“Plus, sell Wildlife Samples to Harriet Davenport to get 3X RDO$, Role XP, and XP — as well as earning a Reward for a Free Coat by selling one Wildlife Sample between October 6–12. Also, get your hands dirty completing any Blood Money Contract from October 20–26 to receive a Reward for a Free Weapon,” Rockstar said.
The coat window has already closed. The weapon window is open right now, and it shuts on October 26.
Your old Halloween Pass progress still counts
If you paid for the earlier Halloween pass, you’re covered. Halloween Pass 2 is also launching this week, and your progress from the first one carries over to it.
The pass has 15 ranks. Most of the rewards are cosmetics, mainly clothing and accessories. Several in-game services are discounted too, including Halloween masks at Madam Nazar’s.
GTA 6 is still on the horizon
Rockstar’s bigger plans are still in the background. When GTA 6 arrives, the profits will go into whatever Rockstar makes next. Before that, the schedule could be filled with more remasters and remakes, plus the PC ports of GTA 6 that everyone expects and possibly DLC.
There’s also the speculation about GTA Online 2.0, which could pull in a big wave of new players because the last one arrived multiple console generations ago. A lot of those players will want something new. Rockstar stumbled a bit with GTA 5 campaign DLC, but it probably won’t overlook what this next generation could bring.
Until any of that happens, you’ve got Levin’s letter at the post office and a free gun for whoever finishes a Blood Money Contract by October 26.
