Fall is almost here, which means a slew of the most anticipated games of 2020, holidays, and more are on their way. Halloween, for many, is the holiday to look forward to, and several games will be hosting events for said holiday. This halloween won't be Red Dead Redemption 2's first rodeo, at least in terms of online content.
The assets of a recent leak seem rather legitimate, suggesting that Halloween is coming to Red Dead Online in a typical fashion. However, this practically begs the question of if Rockstar is finally preparing to bring Undead Nightmare to RDR2.
Red Dead Online's Halloween Leak
First, it's worth looking into the leak from Rockstar_Actu itself. The assets associated with it seem legitimate enough, and the details aren't out of this world either. Essentially, it says there will be a new Outlaw Pass after October 19, which itself will bring a ton of cosmetics to the game. This includes photo op locations with skulls, bones, a scarecrow, and more; an update to Moonshiner's Bar which instills a darker, spookier theme; and a ton of cosmetics on the Outlaw Pass, including horse masks (one bloody one, one sugar skull one), a machete skin, a blindfold that is a bloody cloth, and a "scare" emote.
Notably, the leak itself is entirely self-contained, and while not unbelievable, neither is it completely certifiable. One should also consider how it's all content exclusive for Red Dead Online, and there's not a word for the base game in this leak. However, the future of Red Dead Redemption 2 itself isn't exactly cut and dry. For example, Take-Two recently teased more current-gen games coming to next-gen consoles after Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA online, with the clear lead being that of Red Dead Redemption 2.
GTA isn't coming until mid-to-late 2021, however, which means RDR2's future on next-gen consoles is years away. There was some thought that a RDR2 port to PS5 and Xbox Series X could include an Undead Nightmare add-on as incentive to re-purchase the game, but that's likely so far now that it would seem unlikely. On the other hand, Rockstar's focus on GTA Online came as a direct impact of its early success and devoted updates, and while it has applied a similar tenacity to Red Dead Online, it's not really the star of the show this time around.
What This Halloween Leak COULD Mean for Red Dead Redemption 2
When looking at Red Dead Online, it is a steady stream of money for Rockstar, yet the latest Naturalist update didn't land with a lot of RDO players. This Halloween event also seems run of the mill, and so Rockstar may be looking at other ways to make money off of Red Dead Redemption 2, and the clear answer is simple: Undead Nightmare 2. Practically since launch, fans have been begging for a second run of this DLC.
Undead Nightmare for the original Red Dead Redemption was an instant success. It combined a beautiful, western land with some inklings of Native American lore and the rise of zombies. Mounts were unique in that special ones were modeled after the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and many were happy with this DLC. It was the height and fall of Rockstar Games' powerful DLC runs, which had appeared in many games before it but not really after it.
So the answer is really simple: Halloween is the perfect time for Undead Nightmare 2. While the RDO component is a good indicator of its current direction, it's not likely to be the home run Rockstar wants. Supplementing the aforementioned RDO leak with the inclusion of Undead Nightmare would be a good way to bring players back for the main game and the online content, while offering something fans have been dying to see. In other words, the timing and variety of content is perfect; the implementation thereof is going to be the big question mark.
Red Dead Redemption 2 - The Fate of Undead Nightmare
The Halloween leak skips RDR2 itself altogether; ergo, despite the opportunity being there, it could be that Rockstar doesn't have the time to seize it. Arguably, Rockstar would want to release Undead Nightmare 2, as players would easily flock to it and bring in added revenue on top of the Red Dead Online component, and it would be a big move to effectively end its run of current-gen games. But Rockstar also has support for GTA Online and Red Dead Online in the works, a port of GTA 5 with some enhancements coming to next-gen, and presumably another title in the works for eventual release.
Just because the timing is perfect doesn't necessarily mean that Rockstar Games has the time. While the context around the question of whether or not Rockstar Games is working on Undead Nightmare 2 is simple, the question itself is not. There's a ton of factors, and while, contextually, it all adds up, the pragmatics of the situation are not so cut and dry.
IF Rockstar Games doesn't release Undead Nightmare 2 this Halloween, it may be time to give up the dream. Moving into next year, Rockstar is likely to be busier than ever with next-gen content, meaning updates to current-gen games are likely to slow to a crawl. There is a potential saving grace in that Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series X could still include Undead Nightmare 2, and it would be a big push for the game to see a second wind on nex-gen consoles. But every day Undead Nightmare seems less and less likely, and it would a return from the dead at that point. Not impossible, but unlikely enough that Halloween 2020 may just be Undead Nightmare's resurrection or its final nail in the coffin.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
