Red Dead Online fans are protesting Rockstar by dressing up as clowns

The old west is full of clowns right now. I’m not talking gullible settlers who were duped into buying a bottle of snake oil or prospectors seeking their fortune in dangerous mines and finding nothing but fool’s gold, but actual clowns. Gangsters in grease paint, black hat harlequins and beefy buffoons who have taken to the Red Dead Online servers to protest.

What’s all the hubbub, bub? The primary gripe for these players is that developer Rockstar Games have allegedly done nothing to keep Red Dead Redemptions open-world MMO alive, with these players claiming that it has been almost a year since the last update that brought any meaningful changes to the old digital west.

Emails have gone unanswered, Rockstar remains tight-lipped and players have taken to dressing up as circus clowns in an attempt to get Rockstar’s attention with a positive celebration of silliness. “Rather than let it turn negative or nasty, which in game communities things often can, I thought I’d turn [our protests] into something a bit more fun or even wholesome in a way,” said Magnar, one of the administrators of the Red Dead Online Discord group that has thousands of members, to Polygon.

We’re the clowns for expecting an update or communication, so let’s have fun with that.

The entire joke comes from the Red Dead Online community referring to Rockstar developers as “clowns” for messing up the update schedule, with the players themselves realising that they too are jesters for continuing to play a game that they’re clearly not happy with. Youtuber PVPCat captured some footage of the red-nosed rebellion, when an entire Red Dead Online server was filled to the brim with players in clown drag:

While the event encourages players to assume all manner of circus roles beyond that of the clown (Strongman, circus grunt who drew the short straw and has to shovel elephant crap etc.), Red Dead Online is now a parade of performers who can be found hanging out everywhere from the frontier through to pubs.

“We’ve seen so many times people who are dissatisfied vent their frustrations in really negative ways,” Magnar explained.

But with the Red Dead community, a lot of people still love the game, they’re just disappointed with Rockstar taking them for granted, so yes, we do still play, but we’ll vent any frustrations in a more fun, clowny way.

If you feel like joining the big top revolution, you can do so in the Red Dead Online Discord, which is currently celebrating those players who craft the best costumes for the protest.

Last Updated: July 15, 2020