Rockstar Sparks RDR2 Speculation With New Red Dead Online Missions

Rockstar's latest content drop for Red Dead Online has the community buzzing, with many now speculating that a next-gen upgrade for Red Dead Redemption 2 could finally be on the horizon.

Most players had accepted that Rockstar moved on from Red Dead Online back in 2022. The surprise arrival of the "Strange Tales of the West" update, featuring four new missions and a promise of more, has reignited hope.

The new trailer, featured below, is the first Rockstar has released for Red Dead Online since 2021.

Here is the official description of the update:

Author Theodore Levin is investigating a flood of bizarre rumors from across the frontier. He's compiling an anthology of these unexplained events and needs your help to track down the wildest stories crossing his desk.

Investigating the "Strange Tales of the West" will require nerves of steel to face the odd, twisted, and outright supernatural. Begin these four new Telegram Missions by collecting Mr. Levin’s letter from any Post Office or your Camp Lockbox, then opening it via your Satchel or launching Telegram Missions from your Player Menu.

The four new missions are Strange Tales of The Plague, Strange Tales of Modern Science, Strange Tales of The Bayou, and Strange Tales of The Wilderness. As spotted by @videotechuk_ on X (formerly Twitter), the update also adds a new "Infected" zombie mode, with its first mission set in Armadillo.

Rockstar has launched a new zombie "infected" mode in Red Dead Online as part of the new Strange Tales of The West telegram missions

The first mission takes place in Armadillo and the main objective to kill infected and bring them to a wagon as a team.

Infected carry knives. pic.twitter.com/TC9uOuIDEI

— ben (@videotechuk_) July 1, 2025

Fans are buzzing with excitement on social media and Reddit, fully embracing this unexpected revival.

HOLY SHIT ITS REAL
byu/Apprehensive-Cry4399 inRedDeadOnline

Everyone after the news
byu/Master100017 inRedDeadOnline

This update has sparked questions about the future of both Red Dead Online and its parent game, Red Dead Redemption 2. The zombie-themed content has some fans dreaming of a new Undead Nightmare-style expansion. That would be a major surprise given the studio's intense focus on next year's Grand Theft Auto VI, making a next-gen port a more likely prospect.

In May, GameReactor reported that a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Red Dead Redemption 2 was in development, alongside a "next-gen upgrade patch" for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. According to the report, both could arrive later in 2025.

Players have long requested a modernized version of the 2018 masterpiece. IGN's Red Dead Redemption 2 review awarded it a perfect 10/10, calling it "a meticulously polished open-world ode to the outlaw era."

For now, the Red Dead Online community is diving into "Strange Tales of the West," which is officially labeled as "Vol. 1," hinting at more content to come. Regardless of what comes next, it's clear Red Dead Online has made a surprising and welcome return.