All Articles: Red Dead Redemption 2

Quick, let’s do some free association. If I say the name “Pinkerton,” what do you think of? If you’re in your 30s or 40s, your mind probably instantly went to Weezer’s 1996 album of the same name. But fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 might also be reminded of Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross, two Pinkerton Detectives that are constantly hounding the Van Der Linde Gang.

The Pinkerton Detective Agency was an actual private police force in the late 1800s and early 1900s, though they continue to operate as a security company to this day. In their heyday, Pinkerton Detectives were often hired by industrialists to stomp on unions and used extreme measures when hunting outlaws. According to The Verge, the current incarnation of the Pinkerton Detective Agency (which is owned by a Swedish company) has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Rockstar over the use of their name, and they’re seeking a royalty payment for all sales since the game’s October launch.

Rockstar has responded by suing Pinkerton, claiming their use of the name is accurate to the historical record. The publisher also cites a variety of media that has referenced Pinkerton agents over the years including Deadwood, Titanic, and the video game BioShock: Infinite (which was published by Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company).

While Rockstar’s legal fight with Pinkerton has just started, the detective agency has a pretty steep hill to climb. As Rockstar’s suit shows, using trademarks in a work of fiction is a common practice, and it rarely results in any kind of penalty for the publisher.

On top of that, Rockstar is no stranger to these types of legal proceedings and how to win them. Just ask Lindsay Lohan.

Red Dead Redemption 2‘s sprawling story has taken the gaming community by storm, but Rockstar Games wanted to take a little bit more time for the game’s multiplayer-focused Red Dead Online mode. Earlier today, the prestigious publisher confirmed that the Online Beta for Red Dead Online will beginning rolling out this week.

Owners of Red Dead Redemption 2’s Ultimate Edition will get the first crack at the Online Beta, and more players will be added to the population all week:

Red Dead Redemption 2 – Online Beta Schedule

• Tuesday, November 27: All Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition owners.
• Wednesday, November 28: All players who played Red Dead Redemption 2 on October 26th.
• Thursday, November 29: All players who played Red Dead Redemption 2 between October 26th to October 29th.
• Friday, November 30: All players who own Red Dead Redemption 2.

Over on their official website, a Rockstar spokesman has detailed what players can expect from Red Dead Online in its earliest form:

The world of Red Dead Online will be a continually expanding experience. There will also be some additions and updates throughout the Beta period. Starting this week, you can ride with friends in a Posse, set up your Camp, embark on cooperative story-based missions or go head-to-head in competitive series, find strangers throughout the world to help (or hurt), tackle spontaneous Free Roam challenges, go hunting, fishing, bond with your horse, explore with friends or on your own (but look out for ambushes), and much more.

All the while, you’ll accumulate XP through your explorations and encounters that counts towards your rank and provides added bonuses. Unlock items and improve your attributes while you progress. You can also take on Award challenges throughout your open-world experiences to earn Awards in 12 categories like combat, hunting, sharpshooter and survivalist.

Red Dead Online begins with creating your character. Detail your appearance and attributes before you set out on your journey from Sisika Penitentiary where you’ll acquire a horse, set up a Camp, hunt down a treasure, equip your first Ability Card and meet some fateful characters with a larger story to tell; one that involves chasing truth, revenge, and honor.

After creating a character, players will be able to earn (or lose) Honor through two types of missions:

Free Roam Missions: Head over to the Stranger icons throughout the map alone or with your Posse to embark on Free Roam Missions. You’ll see some familiar faces along the way, and these missions can vary based on how noble or nefarious you are – for example, an honorable gunslinger may be asked to help escort a convoy, defending it from attacking gangs or even other players’ Posses, whereas a dishonorable outlaw may be asked to help spring a felon from the law.

A Land of Opportunities: Honor also plays into this deeper cooperative strand for two to four players that we will continually build upon. In A Land of Opportunities, you’ll be faced with a multi-part series of missions, with some parts changing as your honor changes on a larger journey to seek truth and justice, or revenge.

But if you’d rather mix it up with rival gangs, Red Dead Online will also include five different modes in the Showdown Series:

Shootout & Team Shootout: Classic gunfight modes with unlimited lives. Compete to rack up the most kills before the timer runs out. Sudden death will trigger in the event of a tie: whoever gets the first kill wins.

Make It Count: A true test of resourcefulness in two game modes: use nothing but a bow and a handful of arrows or throwing knives to be the last one standing. With a gradually shrinking player area, there’s nowhere to run.

Most Wanted: A tactical race to the top. Every kill pushes you up the scoreboard, but watch out: the closer to the top you are, the more points everyone else gets for killing you.

Hostile Territory: Work in teams to control the land. Capture a territory to start racking up points: the team with most points wins – or you can win outright by capturing every territory.

Name Your Weapon: Demonstrate your personal specialty in this free-for-all or team based match: the trickier the weapon you use to land the killing blow, the more points you get.

Rockstar is planning to add a wide variety of new features to Red Dead Online over the coming weeks and months, and players will be able to keep track of all the updates at RedDeadOnline.com.