The beta for Red Dead Online is finally live, and Rockstar Games has decided to stagger its release throughout its launch week in order to ensure that the servers run as smoothly as possible before making it available to everyone with a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2. Nevertheless, the multiplayer component to RDR2 is just as large and ambitious as the story mode, so those who already have access and those who don't might need some help getting started. Should this be the case, we've decided to put together a guide on how to get Ability Cards.
As their name implies, Ability Cards grant Red Dead Online players with abilities, and they can be purchased from the Abilities menu, which can be found within the multiplayer portion's main menu. Essentially, once an Ability Card is acquired, it can be placed in a slot for a player's loadout, and it then grants one with the effects listed in the card's description.
The first Ability Card slot that one will unlock in Red Dead Online is named and designated for Dead Eye. It's an active Ability Card slot, which means that players will have to enact Dead Eye to use it. That said, though, Dead Eye in RDO doesn't work the same as it does in the campaign, as it doesn't actually slow down time due to the fact that the game is always online. Instead, Rockstar has modified the feature somewhat, which can be better understood in the Dead Eye Ability Card descriptions below:
- Paint It Black Ability Card: Allows players to paint targets onto enemies while in Dead Eye.
- Focus Fire Ability Card: Allows players and their team members to dish out “a little more damage” while using Dead Eye.
- A Moment to Recuperate Ability Card: Causes players to slowly regenerate health when using Dead Eye.
As Red Dead Online players gain XP, they will be able to level up Ability Cards. Each and every Ability Card has three different tiers in total to hit–each of which enhances the card's effects. Additionally, more slots for cards will be unlocked as a player ranks up, with the 1st Passive slot coming at Rank 10, the 2nd Passive slot coming at Rank 20, and the 3rd Passive slot coming at Rank 40.
As players continue to rank up throughout Red Dead Online, they will gain more Ability Cards in the process. As previously mentioned, one can purchase Dead Eye Ability Cards from within the Abilities menu as a given character continues to build their rank through getting XP.
Red Dead Online is accessible through Red Dead Redemption 2 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.