Why Red Dead Redemption 2 Never Received an Official GOTY Edition

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Many consider Red Dead Redemption 2 to be one of the greatest video games ever made, and that hasn’t changed even though it doesn’t fully support newer gaming hardware. Despite a lot of players being happy to pay extra for an updated version of Red Dead 2, Rockstar Games hasn’t released one, leaving the game largely the same as when it came out in 2018.

Looking back, maybe we should have expected this. Red Dead 2 never got a Game of the Year edition, or any kind of re-release like that, and that was a bit of a clue. Those editions aren’t as common as they used to be, but they’re still a big deal in gaming – basically, they bundle the original game with all the extra content and DLC. It’s a way to keep a popular game selling. But Rockstar never did that for Red Dead Redemption 2, and honestly, there are some pretty good reasons why, even if it’s a little disappointing.

Not That It Really Matters, but Red Dead Redemption 2 Never Actually Won Game of the Year

It’s easy to see why Red Dead Redemption 2 didn’t get a ‘Game of the Year’ edition: it didn’t win the top prize at the 2018 Game Awards. That award went to God of War instead. However, this isn’t a strong argument, as Red Dead Redemption 2 won many ‘Game of the Year’ awards from various other sources. While the Game Awards hosted by Keighley are the most well-known, they aren’t the only awards that matter.

Just because a game didn’t win an award doesn’t mean it can’t get a “Game of the Year” edition. If you visit a retro game store, you’ll find plenty of examples – many games from around 2005 to 2015 have this label, even if they weren’t very popular or well-reviewed.

A ‘Game of the Year Edition’ is often just a fancier name for editions like ‘Legendary’ or ‘Special,’ meant to offer more than the original game – things like extra content or improvements. However, Red Dead Redemption 2 never received one of these upgraded editions, despite winning many awards. This means whether or not a game wins ‘Game of the Year’ doesn’t seem to be the reason Red Dead 2 doesn’t have a special edition.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Never Got Any DLC to Include in a GOTY Re-Release

The main reason Red Dead Redemption 2 never received a Game of the Year Edition is likely because it didn’t get any significant single-player story expansions. All the major updates after the game launched focused on Red Dead Online, and Rockstar typically doesn’t release physical copies or special bundles for its online modes. This is different from the first Red Dead Redemption, which received a Game of the Year Edition in 2011 that included the Undead Nightmare DLC.

The online portion of Red Dead Redemption 2 hasn’t been very well-received, so it’s unlikely to be included in any future special editions or re-releases.

Many fans of the Red Dead series have wished for a spooky expansion like Undead Nightmare for Red Dead Redemption 2, but unfortunately, one doesn’t exist. This means there isn’t much content to add to a Game of the Year Edition or any other special release. Red Dead 2 shares this with GTA 5, which also never received any single-player story expansions or a GOTY edition. While GTA 5 was re-released twice with significant improvements – including a first-person mode – it’s unlikely Red Dead Redemption 2 will get downloadable content. However, Rockstar might eventually release an enhanced version with some new features and improvements.

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2026-01-19 19:05