Red Dead Online is now available as a standalone download, meaning you can embark on your own wild west adventure without needing to buy into Red Dead Redemption 2.

　　The multiplayer game is out on Xbox One, PS4, and PC (Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Rockstar Games Launcher). If you've picked up an Xbox Series X, Series S, or PlayStation 5, Red Dead Online is playable via backwards-compatibility.

　　Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus will be required to play on consoles, but do entitle you to a 75% discount, letting you jump in for just $5. The special extends to PC, too, and will run until February 15, 2021. There after the standalone mode will retail for $20. The announcement of Red Dead Online standalone also mentioned an upgrade path to the full Red Dead Redemption 2 version at a later date, but a price hasn't yet been revealed.

　　Like Grand Theft Auto Online, developer Rockstar has been updating Red Dead Online frequently with new content, including additional activities, bounties, in-game gear, and more. You're free to explore the untamed American frontier and invest in roles that interest you most, whether it's building up a gang of infamous outlaws or dedicating yourself to hunting the land's most fearsome wildlife.

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　　Even though it's enticing to skip Red Dead Redemption 2 entirely and dive into Red Dead Online, you'd be missing out on one of the most critically acclaimed single-player stories of the past generation. In our Red Dead Redemption 2 review, editor Kallie Plagge praised its tale, saying, "Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent prequel, but it's also an emotional, thought-provoking story in its own right, and it's a world that is hard to leave when it's done.