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You can preload ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ soon, and you definitely should

Steven Petite
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Image used with permission by copyright holder

Red Dead Redemption 2‘s launch is quickly approaching. Next Friday, October 26, Rockstar fans around the world will be able to play the studio’s first game in five years. If you plan on buying a digital version, preloading the roughly 90GB file will ensure that you get to play it on launch day.

Rockstar announced on Twitter that preloading for Red Dead Redemption 2 starts October 19 at 12 a.m. ET, a full week before it becomes available to play. To preload, you have to pre-order the game on the PlayStation Store or Xbox Live Marketplace. The preload likely includes the day one patch, which means that you can start playing right when the game unlocks next week.

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For physical edition purchasers, you’ll have to install the game in its entirety, but installing via disc is a much quicker process than downloading. You shouldn’t be too far behind once the floodgates open. There’s a chance that the physical edition of the game is on two discs. A picture of the box art purportedly from the Japanese version of the game shows a symbol that notes two discs (via IGN). If accurate, perhaps one of them is an install disc like we saw with Grand Theft Auto V on Xbox 360. It seems unlikely that you’d have to switch discs in the course of the campaign.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Launch Trailer

Rockstar also shared the launch trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2. The trailer hints at strife within the Van der Linde gang, with protagonist Arthur Morgan getting noticeably frustrated with Dutch’s insistence on seeking out more big scores. We found out earlier this week that the campaign clocks in at 60 hours, features roughly 500,000 lines of dialogue, and 300,000 animations.

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Fans have been waiting for the prequel to Red Dead Redemption since 2010. It was originally supposed to launch in fall 2017, but was delayed until spring 2018 before suffering a second delay. From all the footage and screens we’ve seen so far, it’s no surprise Rockstar needed more time to finish. The world looks to have a remarkable level of detail, from the late 1800s-style buildings to the beautiful backdrops sprinkled with a wide array of animals.

After reading our roundup of everything we know about the game so far, it shouldn’t be too shocking that the file size is so large. Preloading starts on October 19 at 12 a.m. ET ahead of Red Dead Redemption 2‘s October 26 launch.

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Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
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