Skip to main content

Why Red Dead Online players are dressing up as clowns

A growing number of Red Dead Online players are dressing their characters as clowns. And they hope Rockstar Games gets the message.

Over the past several days, Red Dead Online players have outfitted their character designs with clown masks to protest a lack of major updates to the game. In different parts of the Red Dead universe, players with clown-masked characters are joining forces to invade towns, hijack trains, and otherwise make a statement. Players say, however, that they’re doing it all in a fun way.

“Rather than let it turn negative or nasty, which in-game communities things often can, I thought I’d turn [our protests] into something a bit more fun or even wholesome in a way,” Magnar a Red Dead Online Discord chat group admin told Polygon. “We’re the clowns for expecting an update or communication, so let’s have fun with that.”

Red Dead Online hasn’t received a major update in months and Rockstar has been slow to provide any details on when, or even if, something big is coming.

While there have been complaints about the dearth of updates on Reddit and elsewhere in recent weeks, they grew louder earlier this month when the Red Dead Fashion community said its July theme was The Traveling Circus. The group, which urges Red Dead Online players to dress their characters differently each month to win fashion contests, said it chose the July theme because “we’re all clowns for believing we’ll get an update.”

It’s unclear why Rockstar hasn’t announced any major Red Dead Online updates and hasn’t responded to the recent clown protests. The company also hasn’t responded to a Digital Trends request for comment on the player protests.

But it may have no choice but to respond in the coming days. To amp up their efforts, players have announced plans to hold a clown-centered cross-platform protest on Monday, July 20. Details are scant, but in a tweet on Tuesday, July 14, the player-run Red Dead Online Community Twitter account said information on the response and how it’ll be conducted will be shared over the weekend.

“I’d suggest planning a nice circus/clown themed outfit in the meantime,” the tweet reads.

Editors' Recommendations

Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…
Latest Red Dead Online update adds a new survival mode
A cowboy on their horse in Red Dead Online.

Red Dead Online has been in dire need of multiplayer PvE game modes, and with today's update, one has finally been added to the game. A new game mode, titled Call to Arms, adds a survival multiplayer mode to the game that should be similar to anyone that's played GTA Online in the past. Along with Call to Arms, players can find some extra new content, including a new Crimes Contract.

Today's update was revealed on the Rockstar Newswire, but here are all of the details on what to expect from the new update.
Survive and conquer

Read more
Red Dead Online’s Blood Money DLC is a great first step in the right direction
Three characters in Red Dead Online.

Red Dead Online fills a very specific niche for me. I love cowboys, Westerns, revolvers, and lever-action repeaters. Everything about the Old West's depiction in media is exciting, from its gritty daily life to its even grittier characters. For a while, Red Dead Online failed to reflect any of that latter part, giving players the opportunity to play through Red Dead Redemption 2's five states without any of its charms. You made money by being a good guy, and your biggest crimes were hardly offensive. I mean, what's distilling and delivering moonshine compared to robbing a train? Not much, I'll tell you.

Red Dead Online: Blood Money

Read more
New Dead Space game is a next-gen exclusive remake of the horror classic
Isaac Clarke from the new Dead Space.

As revealed during EA Play Live 2021, a Dead Space remake is in the works, and it'll be launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Dead Space Official Teaser Trailer – EA Play Live 2021

Read more