Rockstar is turning Red Dead Online into a standalone game

Rockstar is launching Red Dead Online, the online multiplayer portion of Red Dead Redemption 2, as a standalone game on December 1, 2020. 

It's a move that underlines the value of the games-as-a-service model that's been so successful for Rockstar, and comes over a year after the studio announced it would release GTA Online as a standalone title on the PlayStation 5. 

Rockstar parent company Take Two has previously explained how recurrent consumer spending in modes like GTA Online and Red Dead Online have "significantly exceeded its expectations" as players continue to drop cash on virtual currency and in-game purchases. 

The standalone version of Red Dead Online will feature an option to unlock the Red Dead Redemption 2 story mode for an additional fee. All future content updates will also be included with the standalone offering, which will retail for an introductory price of $4.99 until February 15, 2021 -- after which point it will cost $19.99. 

In terms of next-gen support, Rockstar explained the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the title will be playable via backwards compatibility on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series hardware. The standalone release will also be heading to PC via the Microsoft Store, Rockstar Games Launcher, Epic Games Store, and Steam.