Red Dead Redemption 2 Hackers Don't Think Rockstar's KKK Fix Will Work
Rockstar Games is fighting an uphill battle against racist trolls in Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode, but dataminers believe the developer should set its sights on longer-term solutions. After a quick patch banned Red Dead Online players from summoning NPCs dressed in KKK garb, hackers circumvented the fix by changing their avatars' models instead.
While Rockstar has condemned the griefers and stated that players engaging in such activities would be banned, finding a permanent fix could prove problematic. Dataminers discovered the initial solution to the racist Red Dead Online hack updated the game's anti-cheat system to scan game files for the KKK model, and instantly delete the model when summoned. But the creator of the paid cheat mod menu that enables the hack has stated that as long as the model exists in the game's files, hackers will find a way to summon it.
Such a fix would not be as simple as it may seem, however. Red Dead Redemption 2 features a side quest chain that allows players to gun down KKK groups without suffering honor penalties, and removing the models from the game could compromise the quest line. While the KKK rank alongside aliens and zombies as acceptable video game villains and are presented as such in-context, the current debacle demonstrates the potential risks of rendering hate groups in online-enabled games.
Creating or donning KKK character models is flagrantly racist and tasteless regardless of context, but the griefing is especially inflammatory in the face of the Black Lives Matter movement. Unfortunately, at time of writing, there is no way to avoid the digital presence of the hate group in Red Dead Online. And thanks to a perfect storm of current events, it is unlikely that players will receive a fix soon, due to COVID-19. Rockstar has encouraged its developers to work from home, take time to address medical issues, and scale back their responsibilities while adapting to the new normal. While these changes are commendable, and in many cases vital, they have an enormous impact on game development.
Red Dead Online players were already frustrated with the title's slow updates and lack of fresh content and some cowboys used unorthodox forms of protest to vent their frustrations. Many of the trolls may cite the same grievances - or claim that they are merely having a laugh - and grim humor is a longstanding hallmark of the studio behind Grand Theft Auto, but such justifications ring hollow when excuse hate speech is involved.
The best fix for the issue is likely the implementation of private lobbies, which is a feature Red Dead Online players have been requesting anyway. In the meantime, those hoping to avoid digital white supremacists and trolls may be better served by revisiting the core game, as Red Dead Redemption 2 has a seemingly endless bounty of secrets and side missions.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia.
Source: pcgamesn.com
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