Fans of Red Dead and GTA Online have wondered how long they would have to wait for the release of Red Dead Redemption 2’s online mode and today Rockstar gave fans an idea of when they would finally get to explore Red Dead’s amazing world with their friends by telling everyone to expect the multiplayer’s beta to release at the end of the month. End of the month?!?! But wait, isn’t Fallout 76 coming out at the end of November as well?

November 14 to be exact. So not exactly “the end of the month” like Red Dead but suddenly the two biggest multiplayer titles that are left to be released in 2018 are coming out back to back. Why is this such a big deal though? Well, Bethesda has already come out and told fans to expect bugs in Fallout 76 and with the release of the B.E.T.A., some players ran into bugs that were so bad that the game actually deleted itself. The game isn’t even out yet and it’s already becoming a meme for how broken it can be.

This is where Red Dead Online has the chance to pull off the slickest robbery of the century. If at launch, Fallout 76 resembles more a dropped plate than a playable video game, Red Dead can not only take all of Fallout 76’s momentum for the week but it can keep it permanently or at least until Fallout starts releasing its updated content. Everything is all gloom and doom for this post-apocalyptic title though. Yes, GTA Online is a juggernaut and its what allows Rockstar to do whatever they want, but we can’t forget that when GTA Online launched, it didn’t work for weeks. If that happens with Red Dead and the only big multiplayer game out there that works is Fallout 76, suddenly Bethesda has a chance to take control of this arms race.

Ultimately though, I think Red Dead Online, even if it stumbles at launch, will have an easier time recovering because people already own the game. For players like myself that are waiting to see how the launch of Fallout 76 goes, if it’s a disastrous launch, why would I spend the $60 to experience something that barely works? I mean, I already own Fallout 4… just kidding, that game’s great. The final piece of this completely made up showdown is the mystery behind Red Dead’s online mode. Officially, we still know nothing about this mode. All we have to go off of are quotes stating that the game is, “an evolution of the classic multiplayer experience in the original Red Dead Redemption, blending narrative with competitive and cooperative gameplay in fun new ways.” What does that mean? I, for one, am hoping the game allows me to roleplay as a farmer who spends my time away from the farm fishing at my favorite local spot… or robbing trains and banks with my friends. Either one sounds really fun to me.

Oh, and to anyone asking about Battlefield 5.