Red Dead Redemption 2 is generally regarded as having one of the best open worlds in gaming, which isn't without reason. The western epic has incredible attention to detail, nudging players to explore every nook and cranny in search of its myriad of secrets. It's also markedly different from Rockstar's other darling open-world franchise, Grand Theft Auto.

Both of these games sport a separate online mode, but Grand Theft Auto 5's online component has grown a whole lot large than Red Dead Redemption 2's offering. For example, the former has received a brand-new expansion map in the form of the Cayo Perico heist, the likes of which should feel right at home for the latter.

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Unlike Grand Theft Auto's online component, Red Dead Online hasn't proven to be an outright success. Though many fans seem to have a lot of fun roaming the streets and towns of the game with their Red Dead Online character, others don't feel the spark and constant adrenaline rush that Grand Theft Auto's online component brings.

There's a multitude of reasons for that, as characters in Red Dead Redemption 2 feel heavier to control than what players might be used to in GTA. The slower modes of traversal, simplistic auto-aiming, and the number of mechanical inputs required to do anything are some things that many players have helped to push players away. Many fans also claim that Red Dead Redemption 2 is pay-to-win, which is plausible given how gear and provisions make a major difference. With getting more of these resources just a gold bar away, this claim is understandable.

With the exclusion of pay-to-win practices, many of the problems that fans seem to face are deeply rooted within the mechanics of the game. Given how dependent the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is on its quests, strangers, and vistas for fun, it's no secret that a lot of players have been dropping out of Red Dead Online well before Rockstar would have expected them to.

This helps make a case for Red Dead Redemption 2 to dabble with more single-player-focused content. The game's story mode is considered by many to be Rockstar's best work yet, and getting more of that would not be bad by any means. Furthermore, it could be a standalone expansion like Cayo Perico itself, with an entirely new area to explore that should keep players hooked for quite some time.

Rockstar has delivered spectacular self-contained experiences along these lines, with Grand Theft Auto 4: Episodes from Liberty City and Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare being some major highlights. The stark drop in player count for Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode provides enough reason to believe that players would prefer more content along the lines of single-player narratives. In turn, delivering that within the online mode could be the missing ingredient that's needed to redeem the game and bring back players who lost interest in it.

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Rockstar hasn't shipped a game in almost 3 years now, and it's looking like the wait for the next game could be longer. The studio is probably working on Grand Theft Auto 6 now, and the most recent batch of rumors and speculation indicates a release window of 2025 or beyond. If it happens, Red Dead Redemption 3 would likely be an even longer wait, possibly even extending into the next generation of consoles.

Thus, it stands to reason that fans have been clamoring for any morsel of information that could be found on the matter. Grand Theft Auto Online on next-gen consoles is a reaffirmation of the fact that Grand Theft Auto 6 is still quite some ways off, and fans have to remain content with GTA 5's online offerings for now. That being said, Grand Theft Auto fans have a lot more reason to be hopeful right now, given that Cayo Perico heist has garnered huge success and Rockstar might finally pay much more heed to expansions in a similar vein.

Red Dead Redemption fans don't seem to have that luxury though, which is even more grueling for those who don't seem to enjoy the current online offerings just yet. Furthermore, there's also the fact that the wait for the next Red Dead Redemption will likely be longer, assuming that it would ever be in the works. Rockstar is certainly not at the mercy of fans when it comes to developing content for the game's online mode, as it has more than enough resources to pursue future projects without much hassle.

That being said, Red Dead Online has a lot of potential, and Rockstar could appeal to a larger fraction of its fanbase provided that it's willing to put in the work. As always, there's money to made there too, and the number of studios within Rockstar more or less guarantees that work on future projects wouldn't be impacted drastically. As such, it would be great to see Red Dead Online get a meaningful expansion.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development. Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.

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