Red Dead Online players got seriously freaked out by huge piles of dead horses

Rockstar Games via Reddit
Rockstar Games via Reddit

Something wild has happened in Rockstar's west. Players have been finding piles of skinned, dead horses laying around different parts of the map. Some chocked it up to Red Dead Online being broken since the most recent update. 

"It's the end times in RDO," said Reddit user The_Flail. "Everyone else has gone to the Rapture and we are stuck here because of all the killing and thieving."

Other players have reported finding Ghost Towns with no NPCs or animals. Living creatures in New Hanover, Lemoyne, Ambarino, West Elizabeth and New Austin have all vanished without a trace. Here's a video featuring some of these strange occurrences. 

This was all some huge, game-spanning glitch according to Rockstar. "The issue affecting some players in Red Dead Online that was causing reduced numbers of animals in session and other knock-on effects has been resolved,” they told Polygon in a statement

Some players reported crashes whenever they approached the piles of dead horses, so it seems like this whole thing has been a problem with the most recent game-changing Red Dead Online patch notes that pushed it out of beta. Players have gone on about their business as normal since the fix.

It's a bit disappointing really, I was hoping for some Westworld-type of conspiracy that really threw Red Dead Redemption 2's realism for a spin. Maybe this will serve as inspiration for that down the road. 

Looking for some hot tips to help you earn a quick buck and get ahead in Red Dead Online? Then here's how to make money fast in Red Dead Online or check out our Red Dead Redemption 2 tips in the video below.

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Aron Garst is a journalist and writer exploring the future of games and interactivity. Follow him on X at @GarstProduction.