We knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when. Today, Rockstar Games revealed that ‘when,’ and it’s sooner than I expected. Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to the PC on November 5th via the Rockstar Games Launcher, Epic Games store, and other digital retailers. It’ll also be available as a launch title for Google Stadia when that streaming service goes live next month.
Ok, but what about Steam? It’s getting Red Dead Redemption as well, but we have to wait until December. Yeah it sucks – but mega publishers want more control over how much money they get per sale. More importantly, they want better margins for all the money we spend after the game comes out.
It’s a point Daniel Ahmad (senior analyst at Niko Partners) made in a series of tweets, and it’s spot on.
At least Steam users won’t have to wait too long to get their hands on Rockstar’s latest cowboy adventure. But let’s be real, a good chunk of folks interested in Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC will be getting it on November 5th via Rockstar’s launcher.
Plus, Rockstar can provide even more incentives that other storefronts can’t. Not even Epic Games. First, pre-purchases of Red Dead Redemption 2 via Rockstar “also include free upgrades to the Premium Editions of Red Dead Redemption 2, with both the Special Edition and Ultimate Edition discounted by $20 each,” according to Rockstar’s blog post announcing the news.
Pre-purchases directly from Rockstar also include:
- 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
Rockstar Games knows we want Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC. They also know there will be plenty of double-dippers from the console side who want better frame rates and controls. And they want as many folks as they can get to buy it directly from them.
But they’re also smart enough to release it on Steam. A one-month exclusive window from Steam isn’t that much. Especially during November when everyone is already neck-deep in the latest games.
I’ll update this post once we get a specific December date for the Steam version.