Red Dead Online: The Naturalist Guide

After a long dry spell that drove fans to do things such as dress up as clowns in protest and invent new in-game sports, Rockstar Games has released a huge new update for Red Dead Online. The latest Frontier Pursuit is titled The Naturalist, and it comes with new features, a list of bug fixes, and a story centered around finding and studying a new set of Legendary Animals. Check out our guide for the high level overview of what you can expect to encounter in Red Dead Online: The Naturalist.

Red Dead Online: The Naturalist Guide

The story of The Naturalist sees players doing work for two characters interested in the local wildlife, but for two very different reasons. There’s Harriet Davenport, who is a career conservationist needing help with studying animals. Helping her out involves tracking down animals and sedating them for humane research and rewards. On the other hand, doing work for retired hunter Gus Macmillan involves more of a personal gain angle, tasking players with hunting and collecting hides to make new clothing and earn more cash. It seems to be possible to at least attempt playing both sides, but Harriet will notice if you start poaching for Gus.

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Participating in this content will get you a new compendium called the Animal Field Guide. As you track, photograph and sample animals, more information will be added to the Animal Field Guide. Filling it out not only gives you cool animal knowledge, but it also gives you access to a number of new skills and items. Some examples are Mercy Kills, new Weight Loss and Gain Tonics, special clothing and a new Horse breed. As you progress you’ll eventually reach the point of encountering Legendary Animals, which will lead you to a choice between getting samples for Harriet, or hunting them for Gus to obtain distinct awards based on your decision.

Currently, you’ll be able to find Legendary variants of Cougars, Foxes, Boars, Beavers, Wolves, Bison, and Elk. More Legendary Animals will become available as the event proceeds over the coming weeks. To make the most of your search, a new Advanced Camera will be available that adds new features and filters, as well as new weapons that pack an extra punch such as the Elephant Rifle.

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Other major additions to The Naturalist include several new events in Free Roam, including a pair of new Free Roam Events. In Legendary Animal Protection, you’ll work with other players to defend Legendary Animals from poachers as they migrate. Wild Animal Tagging sees players working together to obtain samples from specific species, which will lead to a Legendary Animal, as well as encounters with poachers.

Excited to go study some animals in the world of Red Dead Online? Or are you planning to be a heartless monster and join the poachers? Let us know what you think about The Naturalist over on the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter pages!