Red Dead Online players are organising their own duels, since there’s no official support
If there’s one thing missing from Red Dead Online, it’s duels - those iconic man-on-man shootouts that grace most cowboy movies.
We’re all familiar with the visuals: the fingers curled near a holster, ready to draw and shoot. Two cowpokes facing off as a tumbleweed dances between them. The town bell that rings to signify that it’s time to die.
The first Red Dead Redemption had these, but it’s an experience that’s missing from Red Dead Redemption 2. Now players in Red Dead Online are making their own rules for Western duels.
It’s becoming increasingly common in-game to be approached by someone looking to duel. Usually there’s an opponent and a referee, the latter of which uses the ability to shoot into the air as a way to signal the start of a bout. Perhaps players could use the bell in Rhodes as well, but I haven’t seen that happen yet.
Here’s a duel in action:
So a completely random player challenged me a traditional western style showdown in Saint Denis today shortly after I logged on for the day from r/RedDeadOnline
There are a couple of things worth noting here, however. The player who filmed this didn’t exactly play by the rules, but I can save you the embarrassment of fudging it yourself.
First off, you don’t use Dead-Eye - that’s frowned upon. You should be aiming and shooting for yourself. Also, you don’t aim down the sights and should always shoot from the hip - this makes it more difficult to pull off a clean shot and makes duels more exciting.
Next time you’re online in Red Dead, why not message a player and enjoy an honourable death?
There’s been a lot going on in Rockstar’s Western lately. For example, did you know you can stare down bears in Red Dead Online to stop them attacking?
People are also using vomit to stop themselves taking damage in Red Dead Online, just like in real life.
If you’re a sucker for accurate gunplay, check out our list of the best sniper games.
What's next for Red Dead Online? Find out in our exclusive Rockstar interview at that link.