Ever sinceRed Dead Redemption 2was first announced in 2016, the return of the firstRed Dead Redemption’s Undead Nightmare DLC has been anticipated and desired. About a year afterRed Dead Redemption 2’s 2018 debut, Rockstar Games released the game’s online multiplayer withRed Dead Online, but there was no sign of an official Undead Nightmare-like DLC.
Now, almost seven years afterRed Dead Redemption 2’s launch, digital cowboys can finally fight against zombies and other unnatural creatures inRed Dead Online’s Strange Tales of the West Vol. 1. While the free content update is exciting for theRed Deadcommunity, Rockstar should strive to release similar content faster forGrand Theft Auto 6.
In October 2010, Rockstar releasedUndead Nightmare forRed Dead Redemption 1only five months after the game’s launch. Here, players could journey in a brand-new, non-canonical campaign with John Marston wherein he must travel across the Southwest United States and Northern Mexico to find a way to cure his family’s zombification. Along the way, Marston had to fight endless hordes of zombies and special infected as well as other supernatural creatures such as sasquatches, chupacabras, undead bears, and undead cougars.
On top of the new campaign, Undead Nightmare added two new multiplayer modes, including the four-playerCall of DutyZombies-like Undead Overrun and Land Grab, which was an area defense mode disconnected from Undead Nightmare’s monstrous creatures.
Undead Nightmare was overwhelmingly critically and financially successful, despite the initially odd concept of having zombies overrun the American Wild West.Red Dead Redemption 2never received an Undead Nightmare campaign of its own, withRed Dead Redemption 1andL.A. Noirebeing the last Rockstar titles to ever receive single-player DLC.
Rockstar releasedStrange Tales of the West Vol. 1 forRed Dead Onlineon July 30, 2025, four years afterRDO’s Blood Money update. Strange Tales centers around four new Telegram Missions and has players face off against zombies, steam-powered automata, swamp folk, a swamp creature, and murderous wilderness inhabitants:
Potential Wacky and Supernatural Updates for Grand Theft Auto 6
With bothRed Dead Redemption 1andRed Dead Redemption 2’s zombie DLCs proving to be highly popular among Rockstar players, the studio should strive to introduce similarly wacky DLCs and updates inGTA 6, and as soon as possible. For example, withGTA 6scheduled to launch in May 2026, Rockstar could release a zombie-themed update forGTA 6later in October 2026 to make for a promising Halloween event likeRDRdid with Undead Nightmare.
Alternatively, based onGTA 6’s coastal Florida-inspired setting, Rockstar could debut a kaiju-inspired update for multiplayer, allowing players to fight against kaiju invading the shores of Leonida. With the rise of AI in modern society and social media’s prevalence inGTA 6, Rockstar could also release a robot uprising update, forcing players to fightTerminator-like robots. Without contrasting against base game content,GTA 6’s ownOnlinecounterpart would be remiss not to take advantage of fan-favorite content while it’s still riding a hype train—if not in 2026 after launch, then perhaps the next year.
The Need for Consistent, Engaging Grand Theft Auto 6 Online Updates
Grand Theft Auto 5is now known for its various exponentially expandingupdates toGrand Theft Auto Online, but it wasn’t always that way. WhenGTA 5first released, Rockstar announced that players would be able to take part in complex heists throughout Los Santos with friends online. However, these heists didn’t debut inGTA Onlineuntil 2015, two years afterGTA 5andOnline’s initial launch.
Since then, Rockstar has consistently added new features and updates toGTA Online, which has keptGTA 5a best-selling game every year despite the title being nearly 12 years old. Plus, severalsingle-player DLCs forGTA 5were reportedly in development but canceled.
Given the immense popularity ofGTA Online, it’s expected that Rockstar will release numerous expansive updates toGrand Theft Auto 6’s iteration ofGTA Online, even if it has a bit of a slow start likeGTA 5. Based onRockstar’s history withGTA OnlineandRed Dead Online, the developer could add fun wacky updates similar to The Doomsday Heist and Strange Tales of the West Vol. 1 early on inGTA 6’s life.
Updates such as these could helpGTA 6remain fun and unpredictable and retain a consistent population, unlikeRed Dead Online, which many players abandoned due to the lack of new content released following Blood Money. That said,GTA Onlinewill hopefully take advantage of supernatural events far sooner thanRed Dead Onlinehas.
