Red Dead Redemption 2 Free Download Available For 48 Hours

3 hours ago 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshots of characters mounted on horses

Published Jul 9, 2026, 11:27 AM EDT

Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream.

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It's still hard to believe that Red Dead Redemption 2 is as ubiquitous as it is all these years later. Like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 3 before it, it managed to ensnare the hearts of millions of players, and folks are still enjoying it, either by replaying the campaign, engaging with mods on PC, or adventuring through Red Dead Online.

Having finished the game, it's no wonder why it's still so popular. Rockstar managed to craft a special open-world sandbox that's both inviting and perilous, letting you play through the game multiple times and discover things you've never seen before. The game world itself is truly one of the secrets to its success.

Even if you're not actively playing it anymore, you can hop back in for a free download, as officially announced in a Rockstar blog post. Just know that there's a timer on it.

By logging in now, you can earn a freebie off the bat through very little effort, as Rockstar notes: "Successfully turn in any Bounty this month to get the Asking for Trouble Emote, and complete a Legendary Bounty to receive the War Cry Emote. Completing all your Bounty Hunter Daily Challenges will get you the green Morning Tail Coat."

Beyond that promo, since June 30, Red Dead Online has been running weekly freebies, and another is coming up with a deadline very soon. All you need to do this week is finish an activity with a Persistent Posse, and you'll be able to collect the Eberhart Coat.

For the uninitiated, posses are kind of like parties or guilds, depending on how you set them up. By playing online, you can engage in Temporary or Persistent Posses, which are groups. The latter is what you need to use, and they're essentially clans or guilds. It was added to prevent players from having to form a Posse every time they log in.

Arthur morgan posing in a colorful cowboy outfit in front of his horse in RDR2

You have until July 13 to get the blue Eberhart coat, and after that, there are three more weeks of events. From July 14-20, you can get a West Hill Haven Treasure Map for purchasing a weapon modification (easy enough). On July 21-27, you can rank up five times (or reach rank 20) as a Bounty Hunter to get the orange Raccoon Hat. And from July 28 through August 3, you can finish two bounties to get a free weapon.

If you're looking for an excuse to get back into Red Dead Redemption 2, now is the time. This event is essentially running for nearly another month, so there's plenty to earn as you rank up in the dangerous world of Red Dead Online.