Rockstar Games is fighting an uphill battle against racist trolls inRed Dead Redemption 2’s online mode, but dataminers believe the developer should set its sights on longer-term solutions. After a quick patch bannedRed Dead Onlineplayers from summoning NPCs dressed in KKK garb, hackers circumvented the fix by changing their avatars' models instead.
While Rockstar has condemned the griefers and stated that players engaging in such activities would be banned, finding a permanent fix could prove problematic. Dataminers discoveredthe initial solution to the racistRed Dead Onlinehackupdated the game’santi-cheat system to scan game files for the KKK model, and instantly delete the model when summoned. But the creator of the paid cheat mod menu that enables the hack has stated that as long as the model exists in the game’s files, hackers will find a way to summon it.
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Such a fix would not be as simple as it may seem, however.Red Dead Redemption 2features a side quest chain that allows players togun down KKK groups without suffering honor penalties, and removing the models from the game could compromise the quest line. While the KKK rank alongside aliens and zombies as acceptable video game villains and are presented as such in-context, the current debacle demonstrates the potential risks of rendering hate groups in online-enabled games.
Creating or donning KKK character models is flagrantly racist and tasteless regardless of context, but the griefing is especially inflammatory in the face of the Black Lives Matter movement. Unfortunately, at time of writing, there is no way to avoid the digital presence of the hate group inRed Dead Online. And thanks to a perfect storm of current events, it is unlikely that players will receive a fix soon, due to COVID-19. Rockstar has encouraged its developers to work from home, take time to address medical issues, and scale back their responsibilities while adapting to the new normal. While these changes are commendable, and in many cases vital,they have an enormous impact on game development.
Red Dead Onlineplayers were already frustrated with the title’s slow updates and lack of fresh content andsome cowboys used unorthodox forms of protestto vent their frustrations. Many of the trolls may cite the same grievances - or claim that they are merely having a laugh - and grim humor is a longstanding hallmark of the studio behindGrand Theft Auto, but such justifications ring hollow when excuse hate speech is involved.
The best fix for the issue is likely the implementation of private lobbies, which is a featureRed Dead Onlineplayers have been requesting anyway. In the meantime, those hoping to avoid digital white supremacists and trolls may be better served by revisiting the core game, asRed Dead Redemption 2has a seemingly endless bounty of secrets and side missions.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia.
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