Red Dead Online's Specialist Roles system arrives with next week's Summer Update

Red Dead Online, will be galloping into new territory next week, with the launch of its previously announced class-like Specialist Roles system on Tuesday, 10th September.

Specialist Roles will arrive as part of Red Dead Online's Summer Update, and each will offer themed activities that reward unique items and skills, plus Cash and Gold payouts, as players progress through the ranks. Three Specialist Roles (Bounty Hunter, Collector, and Trader) will be introduced next week, with more due in the future, and players must part with 15 Gold Bars to begin each one - although PS4 players can become a Trader for free, while Twitch Prime subscribers can get a free Bounty Hunter License from 10th September. 

At lower rank levels, Bounty Hunters can secure work to bring down NPCs by checking out bounty boards near law offices, post offices, and train stations. However, completing Bounty Hunter Rank 12 unlocks the option to take down other wanted players with high bounties of $20 or over, with players receiving an invite to begin a hunt when their target is nearby.

Bounty Hunter skills and items include a reinforced lasso for keeping bounties secure, a throwable bolas, enhanced Eagle Eye - enabling the tracking of sprinting or galloping enemies - plus the ability to duck on horseback, and more.

Traders, meanwhile, are given the opportunity to establish their own trading post, with a little help from camp companion Cripps. Once the quest is underway, players can turn their camp into a business by procuring materials - through hunting and Resupply Missions - that Cripps can turn into sellable goods. These can then be dispatched across short distances for low-risk rewards, or further afield for more. Traders will need to be careful though; a flourishing business can attract raids on their camp.

Unique Trader skills and items include a stew pot and lance knife, medium and large delivery wagons that can hold additional goods for transportation, the ability to train dogs to warn of camp raids, and more.

Finally, the Collector is focussed on finding and selling rare goods, ranging from tarot cards and buried treasure to hidden family heirlooms. Rockstar says the 15 Gold Bar cost required to purchase the Collector's Bag and begin the Role will be waived for GTA Online players that manage to collect all 54 hidden playing cards.

The Collector's skills and items include the Pennington Field Shovel, essential for uncovering buried treasure, a horse saddlebag carry limit upgrade, the ability to collect herbs from horseback, a metal detector, a horse lantern, and more.

XP required to level up through all 20 ranks of each Specialist Role will be awarded automatically as players complete Role-relevant activities. A new tier of distinction - Novice, Promising, Established and Distinguished - is unlocked every five levels. Considerably more information on the Specialist Roles system can be found on the Red Dead Online website.

Rockstar notes that Red Dead Online's Summer Update will also feature a range of gameplay additions and improvements when it arrives on 10th September, including new Role-specific Free Roam Events, more responsive player movement, extra stable slots, weapons rebalancing to reduce player reliance on headshots in PvP, improved sell costs for jewellery, the ability to change character appearance without a reset, and more.