Red Dead Online: 10 Things You Need To Do In Your First 10 Hours (2024)

Red Dead Online brings the cowboy experience directly to the hands of the players. No longer will players be bound by a single-player experience with Red Dead Redemption 2. Now, Red Dead Online will allow players to explore the Wild West, either with friends or against enemies. This wild frontier is ripe for outlaws, bounty hunters, cowboys, and those just trying to keep to themselves. The question is, what should players do in their first 10 hours of Red Dead Online?

There are plenty of activities and important additions that players should make note of during their opening hours of Red Dead Online. The game can offer players plenty of fun if they know where to have it. However, the game also offers a variety of goodies, such as the best horses in Red Dead Online, and the best guns, which players will surely want, and fast.

Updated on December 24, 2023, by Jake Fillery: Whilst Red Dead Online isn't as popular as GTA Online, the game still has a tight community, and for those looking to join that community, it might be useful to learn of the things and tips they should do within their starting hours into the game. The Wild West can be dangerous, even in a virtual space, so players who are heading out with a cowboy hat, revolver, and a horse, whether in preparation for Grand Theft Auto 6 or out of sheer fun for the cowboy lifestyle, are going to want to know some useful things that will help them on their way.

10 Create A Loadout

Gunslinging Is The Key To Survival

As players are given the keys to their freedom in RDRO, they will find themselves with little choice when it comes to weaponry. They are going to be armed with a basic revolver, and one that isn't exactly going to see them rob people and thrive in shootouts. When players get some cash, they should head to any gunsmith in the quiet towns and start investing in weapons.

There are many different weapons players can claim, and each of them has their own advantages. Players will not just want a revolver to do their dirty work, as an abundance of rifles, repeaters, and shotguns will certainly help with the heavy lifting of taking out armies of enemies.

9 Attack Gang Hideouts

Potential Treasure Map Rewards & XP

Once players can freely explore the world, they can take a look at the map for Gang Hideouts. These are often marked with a red blob and skull on the map, and they can be found across the large map of Red Dead Redemption Online. Every Gang Hideout has an iconic location, complete with an army of enemies, and a boss fight with a Gang Leader in need of putting down.

Whilst this may not be easy alone, it is certainly doable, and it will see players earn new weapons from looting, as well as XP, cash, and perhaps even a Treasure Map once they find the Leader's body or a lock box. There are plenty of rewards stashed in a Gang Hideout, and if players are lucky enough to find a Treasure Map, then they are well on their way to earning Gold Bars and cash. Gold Bars are useful in RDRO due to the fact that they act as currency within the game that can (optionally) be purchased with real money.

8 Create A Good Character

Changing Appearance Can Be Costly

Players shouldn’t be afraid to spend some time creating a character that they are happy with. When they start their Red Dead Online adventure, they will have to create a character, and they should choose wisely. Players are going to be stuck with this character until they delete it, or spend gold to change it. Changing faces is expensive, and will set players back a whopping 10 Gold Bars, so it's best to start an adventure in RDR Online with a face players are happy with.

It’s best to make sure that the player is happy with their online character and their visuals, as they are going to spend a fair amount of time with them. It’s also best that they check the create a character screen for any additional bonuses before embarking out to the West.

7 Complete Story Missions

24 Story Missions, With 5 More From DLC

There’s a dedicated story in Red Dead Online. Players can expect to find new and familiar faces around the states of Red Dead Online, and they will be venturing through the wilderness and towns to complete some fairly intense missions, all with the company of choice, an integral aspect of these early story missions.

Completing story missions should be a priority of players, as not only will it net them some great XP and cash for their first time completing it, but it will also help assist their honor path, and help players choose where they want to go from here.

6 Collect A Horse And Insurance

The Wild West's Vehicles

Choosing a horse is no easy task. A horse will be the life of a Red Dead Online player, and the way that they traverse through the wild. Players should pick their horse carefully, as although they will be able to buy the best horse in Red Dead Online eventually, they are going to want to use a decent starting horse.

It’s best to get the horse quickly and to buy horse insurance alongside it. This way, when the horse dies, it can whistle for a brand new variant of the same horse. However, if they do not have horse insurance, they will instead, summon a scrawny nag, which will be far slower than their normal horse.

5 Visit The Camp

The Player's HUB

After getting set up in the Wild West, players should venture off to find their camp. Here, they will meet a good friend and a loyal partner named JB Cripps. Cripps is in charge of moving and managing the campsite that the player will call home. Here, they can upgrade some items, like the theme, tent, and flag.

It’s great to be set up at the camp, as players will have a steady supply of equipment and safety from other players and AI-controlled enemies. The camp is the new home of the player, and while it may not be a penthouse in Los Santos, it’s as good as it can be for an outlaw.

4 Play Free Roam Events

Earn Gold, Cash & XP In Fun Game Modes

Free Roam Events are entirely exciting and involve a great number of other Red Dead Online players. A Free Roam Event will occur at random, and when it does, players should opt-in to participate to net themselves some keen rewards, like gold, XP, and cash. Free Roam Events don’t take too long, and there is a fun competitive element to them.

Players should try and access all Free Roam Events when they occur so that they are staying on top of the fun activities available to them in Red Dead Online, as well as finding themselves some neat rewards in their early hours into the game. Even if some players may have a complete edge thanks to their better weaponry and horses.

3 Invest In The Collector Role

Earn Tons Of Cash & XP Through Collecting

The Collector Role is by far the best role for making money and claiming XP. Players will need to locate Madam Nazar and her caravan, which moves around the map daily. Although purchasing the Collector’s Bag to start the Collector Role in Red Dead Online will set players back 15 Gold Bars, it is well worth the price.

Players can spend their time looking for treasure alongside a trusty amount of important tools like a metal detector and a shovel. Players can expect to find new treasures every day, and trade sets to Madam Nazar for a brilliant amount of cash and XP, ensuring that they will not remain a Red Dead Online noob for long.

2 Choose An Honor Path

High Honor & Low Honor Have Different Missions

One of the earliest things players should do in Red Dead Online is the story missions so that they can choose an honored path. Once players have committed to either being good or bad, they will unlock more story missions to further progress the Red Dead Online campaign, thus granting them more money and XP to evolve and upgrade their character and stats.

Whether players are on the side of the law or against it, all that matters is that they have chosen an honored path so that they can continue forward through Red Dead Online, and enjoy the spoils and excitement that comes along with these unique missions.

1 Upgrade The Best Ability Cards

Ability Cards Are Perks That Give Players Advantages In Combat

As well as outfits, Ability Cards are the most expressive way for players in Red Dead Online to show their skills. Ability Cards help players stay unique, as each of them will commit to a different ability that assists players against other players or AI enemies. Multiple different cards do a variety of different things, so it’s best to find the best Ability Cards in Red Dead Online to maximize combat efficiency.

Players will unlock new cards and slots through their XP ranks, and they will be able to upgrade them with cash. It’s best to stick to a certain path of Ability Cards to help upgrade them faster, ensuring a better success rate when involved in Western shootouts.

Red Dead Online

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

Released

May 14, 2019

Developer(s)

Rockstar Games

Genre(s)

Action , Adventure