The Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series are two of the biggest (and most played) series developed by Rockstar Games. Given that they both have wildly popular online multiplayer modes, it’s about time players in both franchises got to battle against each other in a proper crossover event.
This wouldn’t be the first crossover event GTA Online and Red Dead Online fans received. Back in 2019, a special crossover event allowed players to earn a new gun in both games. If GTA Online players completed the Serial Killer Mystery mission, they’d unlock the Navy Revolver gun and, simultaneously, the Navy Revolver Challenge, which required players to get 50 kills. Not only does completing the challenge earn players $250,000 GTA money, but it also unlocked Lowry’s revolver in Red Dead Online, a double win for fans of both crime and westerns.
The crossover was a big hit with players, and fans have been waiting for Rockstar to announce another similar event with equally enticing prizes. As of now, there’s no word on if or when Rockstar will plan another GTA and RDR2 crossover, but when they choose to do so, there are many opportunities to make the crossover event a complete hit.
In the 2019 crossover event, players weren’t able to play against each other. Completing the mission and challenge to reap the rewards requires that players have access to both games, otherwise they won’t be able to unlock both of the guns. While the crossover event was fun as it was, it would be even more exciting and challenging if players from both GTA Online and Red Dead Online were somehow able to play against each other. This may seem like wishful thinking, but it’s entirely possible. Since both online modes use Rockstar servers, it’s possible for Rockstar to create an additional mode to incorporate players from both games.
The big question, however, would be what the map looks like. It would be exciting to incorporate elements from both RDR2 and GTA 5’s map. Players could have the chance to battle it out in a modern day Saint Denis, inspired by its real-life New Orleans counterpart. Or, Los Santos could be transported back in time to the wild west and given a old-timey makeover. Cars were slowly becoming more popular at the turn of the twentieth century, so perhaps vintage cars could be introduced while also allowing players the option to jump on the back of a horse. Or, perhaps Rockstar would choose to keep the online mode set in a modern time. Players could still have horses to ride should they choose, though it may feel out of place, but it would allow modern supercars to still dominate the road. Many parts of Blaine County could easily merge with Red Dead Redemption 2's western locales, after all.
Obviously, combining the two online modes of Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 is easier said than done and would require careful consideration in order to make sure the proper content from both franchises are added so they don’t clash or feel as though they’re contradicting each other too much. But the main advantage of combining GTA Online and Red Dead Online’s modes into a new, separate mode is that it would give all Rockstar Games players the chance to play against each other, something that the online modes have yet to achieve.
