When is Red Dead Redemption 2 coming to PC?

Calum Patterson

Fans have waited with bated breath for any information on a PC release date for Red Dead Redemption 2, and now Rockstar has finally announced when it’s going to happen.

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Red Dead Redemption 2 was the most anticipated game release in 2018 – unless you’re a PC player, in which case it was likely the most dreaded, as you were forced to look on in envy at console players enjoying all the fun.

Just as players were starting to lose hope, Rockstar swooped in and announced exactly when Red Dead Redemption 2 would be coming to PC.

Rockstar announced the game would be coming to PC on November 5 through the Rockstar Games Launcher, in a tweet on October 4.

Those who preorder the PC version of the game through the launcher before October 22 will also receive a number of in-game bonuses for story mode and Red Dead Online, including:

  • Outlaw Survival Kit for Story Mode
  • War Horse for Story Mode
  • Treasure Map for Story Mode
  • Cash Bonus for Story Mode
  • 50 Gold Bars for Red Dead Online

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Fans who preorder before October 22 will also receive their choice of two free Rockstar games from the following selection:

  • Grand Theft Auto III
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
  • Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
  • Bully: Scholarship Edition
  • L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition
  • Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition 

If players who are 100 percent preordering RDR2 from the Rockstar Launcher want three free games instead of two, everyone who just downloads the Launcher by October 8 will get a free copy of San Andreas included.

This is all good news for PC players who have been patiently waiting for RDR2 for the last year, with the potential for three bonus games and extra in-game content is icing on the cake.

RockstarRed Dead fans on PC have been patiently waiting for the game to arrive on their platform.
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Rockstar initially neglected to acknowledge the PC platform whatsoever following the game’s 2018 platform release, just like they did with the release of Grand Theft Auto V.

Even when asked directly about a PC release on an investors call earlier in 2019, Strauss Zelnick of Take-Two (Rockstar parent company and publisher of RDR2) avoided giving a direct answer, saying only “in this particular instance, I can’t really give you too much clarity, apologies.”

Red Dead Redemption 2PC players will finally be able to dive into the world of RDR2 come November 5, 2019.
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Hints and leaks before the official announcement

Before Rockstar officially announced when RDR2 would be coming to PC, there were a number of leaks and datamining efforts that indicated it would be happening, eventually.

Alongside the release on PS4 and Xbox One on October 26, a mobile companion app also dropped for Red Dead Redemption 2, and data miners quickly got to work digging through the app’s files.

Shared by Rockstar Intel, some of these files made direct mention of a PC Version, as well as names of various PC graphics options, such as reflections, shadow distance and particle light quality. The most compelling evidence of all is the line “CommandIsPcVersion(void) 000000000166A12C’.”

ROCKSTAROne of the hottest games of 2018 is finally coming to PC.
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The companion app files were not the first big hint at a PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 however. Back in June 2018, VG247 discovered the LinkedIn profile of a Rockstar employee, who had “let it slip” about a PC version as well.


Finally, PC players will be able to move on from the speculation and get ready to ride into Red Dead Redemption 2 with Arthur and the rest of Dutch’s gang on November 5.

About The Author

Calum is Dexerto's Managing Editor, based in Scotland. Joining Dexerto in 2017, Calum has years of experience covering esports, gaming and online entertainment, and now leads the team to deliver the best coverage in these areas. An expert on all things Twitch and gaming influencers, he's also an expert in popular shooters like Apex Legends, CS2 and Call of Duty. You can contact Calum at calum.patterson@dexerto.com.