Red Dead Redemption 2 sold more in eight days than RDR1 did in eight years

Red Dead Redemption 2 has done very well - we knew that already - but here's a new statistic that hammers home the growth of Rockstar's blockbuster cowboy series: RDR2 sold more in its first eight days on sale than the original Red Dead Redemption managed in eight years.

17m copies of Red Dead Redemption 2 have now been sold, publisher Take-Two trumpeted in an earnings call with investors last night. During the call, Take-Two also briefly mentioned Red Dead Online, which is still set for launch later this month.

Red Dead Online will arrive labelled as a public beta version - something rare for Rockstar - at some point before the end of November. We knew that already, too, but it's good to know this is still the case considering we have seen nothing of what it will entail.

Last night, Take-Two exec Karl Slatoff called Red Dead Online "an evolution of the classic multiplayer experience in the original Red Dead Redemption", which will blend "narrative with competitive and cooperative game-play" and be available to play solo or with friends.

It sounds, then, a lot like GTA Online, which saw familiar characters from GTA5's story campaign pop up to give your character new missions and things to do.

Perhaps Rockstar is holding back details because, well, there is plenty to do in the main Red Dead Redemption 2 game already. But the mode's arrival as a beta, and the intense amount of development work needed just to get the base game out the door, suggests Red Dead Online is coming in very hot indeed.

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