Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 and Xbox One Pre-Loading Begins Soon, Here's When

The release of Red Dead Redemption 2 is fast approaching, and you can be prepared to venture into the Old West by having it loaded and ready to go for launch. Alongside a new launch trailer, Rockstar has announced that pre-loading will begin on Friday, October 19 at 12 AM ET / 5 AM BST, or 9 PM PT on Thursday.

In the tweet announcing the pre-load timing, the studio also gave word that the launch trailer will debut on Thursday at 10 AM ET / 7 AM PT. That should be our last long look at the game before its launch next Friday, October 26. Rockstar is giving plenty of time for the pre-load, which makes sense given that RDR2's install size is huge, as the company has now officially confirmed.

Pre-loading also means you pre-ordered, which will net you a cash bonus for the story mode, and some bonus GTA$ for GTA 5's Grand Theft Auto Online. Those who pre-ordered by July 31 will also get a treasure map for a head-start on making their fortune on the frontier. The physical editions come with a wide variety of bonuses, including physical items in the Special and Ultimate editions. A separate Collector's Box, which doesn't include the game, comes with a bunch of tchotchkes like a pin set, bandana, playing cards, and tithing box with lock and key. You can read more details in our pre-order guide.

It appears Rockstar has crafted a massive open world to explore, with no shortage of activities and detail. You can fish and hunt, your clothes will degrade, and dialogue will shift based on your personal hygiene. Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser estimates it has 500,000 lines of dialogue.

All that ambition appears to have come at a cost, though, as Houser also stated that the studio has had 100-hour work weeks to deliver on the promise. He later clarified that he was referring only to a few senior members of the team having intensive writing sessions, and that the studio doesn't expect such long hours from its team as a whole.