How long does it take to beat Red Dead Redemption 2?

Spoiler alert: Many, many hours

An in game image of Arthur Morgan and Sadie Adler from Red Dead Redemption 2.
Image via Rockstar Games

With the recent resurgence in popularity for the 2018 Rockstar Games smash hit sequel Red Dead Redemption 2, you might be tempted to pick up the controller or computer mouse and start playing.

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Whether you are journeying back to the North American Wild West to replay the story of Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang, or you are a newcomer to the series whose interest has been peaked by the sudden online chatter, you might be wondering about how long it’s going to take you to finish the game.

We all have lives outside video games, so it’s best to go into a notoriously lengthy title such as RDR2 with some idea of how long you need to play it. With this in mind, here’s how long it takes to beat Red Dead Redemption 2.

How long is Red Dead Redemption 2?

A screenshot of Arthur Morgan riding a horse from Red Dead Redemption 2.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 campaign takes an average of 50 hours, but completing the game 100 percent can take more than 180 hours. Image via Rockstar Games

The amount of time you will spend with Red Dead Redemption 2 depends on whether you choose to engage in all the side missions, activities, and everything else the game has to offer or if you are planning on just going through the story missions.

The main story can take anywhere between 40 and 60 hours to complete. Side missions and activities can take you over the 100-hour mark, adding 30 to 40 hours to your gameplay. If you’re trying to complete the game 100 percent and obtain all the achievements/trophies, you can expect to spend more than 180 hours with Red Dead 2

All in all, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a big commitment in terms of hours, even if you only want to play through the main campaign. Going for 100 percent completion is the most time-consuming option and can take you close to the 200-hour mark to do everything on offer.

With an average of 50 hours simply for the main story and a huge amount of exploration possibilities and fine detail, you need to invest a fair amount of your time if you plan on heading into the world of Red Dead Redemption 2

Author
Image of Antonia Haynes
Antonia Haynes
Antonia Haynes is a freelance general gaming writer for Dot Esports who resides in a small seaside town in England where she has lived her whole life. Beginning her video game writing career back in 2014, and having an avid love of gaming since childhood, she became a staff writer in 2018 before becoming freelance in 2023 with her role at Dot Esports. Her ideal day would consist of junk food, fluffy pyjamas and video games because quite frankly going outside is overrated.