If Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn’t have Red Dead Online on Switch 2, keep it

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredibly exciting prospect for the Nintendo Switch 2 library. While the rumor mill purports Rockstar Games’ critically acclaimed western is heading for Nintendo’s plains, part of me knows it’ll likely skip over the game’s greatest component: Red Dead Online. Although all eyes are on Grand Theft Auto 6 and GTA Online continues to thrive, assembling your crew on the go shouldn’t be restricted to just handheld PCs.

The treatment of Red Dead Online, if anything, is more frustrating than it is sad. Rockstar’s final major update hit Red Dead Redemption 2’s multiplayer spin-off in July 2021, with the studio’s efforts pooled into the army of developers crafting GTA 6. Meanwhile, GTA Online is still going strong, with additional jobs, mission types, and busy work to get on with. That doesn’t mean Rockstar should completely rule out Red Dead Online for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Bringing Rockstar Games’ brand of online mayhem to Nintendo’s new handheld would mark a first for the developer, considering that previous releases like last year’s Red Dead Redemption remaster arrived on Nintendo Switch 2 without any of its beloved multiplayer glory. The last time Nintendo indulged in some open-world game carnage on this scale dates back to GTA: Chinatown Wars in 2009, one of the best DS games you’ll ever experience.

Since then, teaming up in Los Santos or the American Frontier is a task for players on consoles or rival portable gaming consoles like the ROG Ally. There’s a unique brand of fun in Red Dead Online, one that even GTA Online can’t quite replicate. Instead of constantly getting blasted by a pesky player on an Oppressor MK 2, teaming up with friends to ride across the frontier in search of riches, bounties, and the thrill of the unknown is the kind of experience I’m always eager to dive back into.

It’s a breathtaking world to lose yourself in, and there’s clearly still a strong appetite among players to return to it. As of February 2025, Red Dead Redemption 2’s lifetime sales are swiftly surpassing 75 million units. It may not be the exponential numbers that GTA 5 is capable of racking up month upon month, but it’s still impressive for a franchise with just two entries to its name. You can read our Red Dead Redemption review to see just how good the Switch iteration is.

It all depends on whether Rockstar is willing to bet bigger on the franchise. Another legion of players coming to Red Dead Online is a certified revenue stream, one that Rockstar doesn’t necessarily need, but would certainly welcome. Would you like Red Dead Online to make an appearance on Nintendo Switch 2? Sound off on social media here.

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