Red Dead Online: Heists DLC Concept - The Art of Robberies

First of all, I'd like to apologise about the delay of this article - but a certain someone decided to announce four new DLCs after seven months of silence the day it was originally due to come out. Ahem, Rockstar.

So - I brought you a whopping ten property concepts for Red Dead Online, across two articles. I brought you four different story concepts. I listed the small features RDO needed. I developed the existing four roles in the game with up to thirty new levels, and presented them with next steps.

Now, the concept guy comes to you with the most requested mission type (probably the most requested feature overall) for Red Dead Online. I present to you, the big one! The big nine?

NOTE - SINCE RELEASING THIS, WE COMPILED EVERY ONE OF OUR CONCEPTS INTO ONE LARGE ARTICLE DETAILING A FIVE YEAR / 11 UPDATE PLAN FOR RED DEAD ONLINE. THIS CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING ON THIS TEXT!

A Little Background

Heists were teased as the main feature of GTA Online before it's release seven long years ago and released in 2015 to much success. People loved the huge set-pieces and the massive payouts (for the time). They were followed up with The Doomsday Heist, an epic end-of-the-world tale told in three parts paying out more money than ever before.

Two years after that, and GTA Online saw another heist. The Diamond Casino Heist was the largest score in Los Santos, offering multiple methods and tactics to take on what claimed to be the most advanced security system in the state. Rockstar are now teasing a fourth heist for GTA Online, taking place in a brand new location!

It's been discussed what Red Dead Redemption 2 does better than GTA V, so let's hope this can translate to this thrilling new DLC.

Red Dead Online Heists: Score Big in the West

Before we get into the details of each of my nine proposed heists, here's some details of how they would work:

• For the most part, they function like GTA Online's original five heists
• Setups could either be done in public sessions or as lobbies, the finale to the heist is it’s own lobby
• Setups pay $40 per mission, with the host not taking any pay as they can set the finale payout
• I have tried to construct an overarching story between them, which leads nicely into the main story of RDR2
  • This was inspired by the overarching story of The Doomsday Heist, but is much longer and more detailed.
• I have tried to add a special unlock for the host for completing each heist
• Planning table is a purchasable camp upgrade
  • Costs 10 gold and is needed to play the Heists
  • This functions like the planning board, and has visual variations based on camp themes.
  • More cutscenes and story around the camp will make it feel more alive.
• Each heist has bonuses if completed on hard
  • First-person lock: $250, 5 gold
    • Can be completed more than once, but will no longer pay gold
  • First time: $500, 5 gold
    • Can only be completed once
• For the full set of heists, there are other rewards
  • All in order: $1000, 10 gold
    • Can be completed more than once, but will pay half rewards
  • Loyalty: $1000, 10 gold
    • Can be completed more than once, but will pay half rewards
  • Criminal mastermind: $10,000, 30 gold
    • Can be completed more than once
• The heists have the typical difficulty-based risk-for-reward setup
  • Easy: 1x payout. 4 lives
  • Normal: 1.25x payout. 2 lives
  • Hard: 1.5x payout. 1 life

A Golden Opportunity: The 9 Heists

Sisika Records Assault

• Planned by Horley, used to fully exonerate the players from the murder of Mr LeClerk.
• 3 setups
  • Setup one has players locate a small steamboat and stash it.
  • Setup two has players source a set of the "juggernaut" armour.
  • Setup three has the players rob the warden's Saint Denis home for keys to the evidence room.
  • The finale has the players boat over to Sisika, one in juggernaut armour, and fight their way through the prison until they get to the records room. The players must then use the keys to enter the room. Here they can choose to either take their evidence or burn everything, for high or low honour respectively. They must get back on the boat and ride it up to Van Horn.
• There is an epilogue cutscene, in which Pinkerton Special Agent Austin Smith inspects the records room, and is seen talking to surviving guards.
• Special unlock: 20% off fast travel
• 2 - 4 players
• $1000, 10 gold to split

The Valentine Auction

• Planned by Cripps, stealing a heard of sheep from an auction yard
• 4 setups
  • Setup one has players practise herding sheep by working for emerald ranch
  • Setup two has players sabotage the fences of the auction yard at night
  • Setup three has players kill auction guards, and sneak their names onto the list
  • Setup four has the players blackmail Derek Rook to be their face for buying the sheep, and kill off any competition
  • The finale has the players attend the auction, where they can pretend to place bids on the sheep. Upon the completion of the auction, the players must begin to herd away the sheep before Derek has paid for them. They ride them back to a safe location at Horseshoe Overlook and into a temporary pen. They are then attacked by a gang of O'Driscolls, who saw them herd the sheep away. Players must fight off three waves of O'Driscolls, before completing the heist
• In the epilogue cutscene, Agent Smith confronts Derek in a jail cell. He stabs him in the shoulder with a knife for information, as Derek is not willing to give up information on his affair he was blackmailed with. Derek is now more willing after being stabbed, cut to black.
• Special unlock: Sheep wool coat
• 2 - 4 players
• $1500, 15 gold to split

The Blackwater Bank Job

• Planned by Cripps, stealing bags of money from the bank in Blackwater.
• 4 setups
  • Setup one has the players look for an armoured coach.
  • Setup two has the players find some revenue agent outfits, with the help of Maggie Fike.
  • Setup three has the players steal some shire horses from the Braithwaites, for the wagon.
  • Setup four has the players sneak into multiple police departments, leaving tips that other banks are about to be robbed in order to confuse the law and reduce presence.
  • The finale has the players assassinate some revenue agents on their way to the bank and dispose of their bodies. The players take their own wagon, dressed as the agents and ride into Blackwater on the wagon. Upon entering the bank, the law show up as they didn't fall for the trick. Outside, Austin Smith confronts the players, threatening to take them in, but mentions he won't hesitate to kill them. He orders the officers to storm the bank, before leaving. The players have to simultaneously rob the safes and defend the bank, before shooting their way out and fleeing to Thieves Landing.
• Austin Smith is seen in another cutscene, where he is sitting in an office reading a newspaper article about the heist. He crumples up the paper, throws his cup of coffee at the wall and lights a cigarette.
• Special unlock: Revenue agent disguise
• 2 - 4 players
• $2000, 20 gold to split

The Caliga Hall Raid

• Planned by Cripps and Samson, stealing valuable items from the Greys mansion at night.
• 4 setups
  • Setup one has players capture a guard for information. They can kill him for an honour penalty or let him go for more guards at the house in the finale.
  • Setup two has the players get in touch with the Braithwaites, in order to cause a distraction in the finale. The Braithwaites have the players kill five targets for a trade.
  • Setup three has players disrupt Grey family supply wagons, to reduce guard strength.
  • Setup four has players visit the Greys as potential tobacco purchasers, in order to case the house. One person enters with Cripps to distract the residents as the rest look around.
  • The finale has the players sneak in at night and try to stealthily get around the house, stealing valuables. As they enter, the Braithewaites start causing a riot outside, bringing most of the guards away. If the players are caught, the heist can go loud. On the way out, the players must get on horses from the Greys stables and ride them away to the Braithwaite manor.
• In this epilogue cutscene, Austin Smith catches up with Samson. Austin pressures Samson for information, but he doesn't let any out. Samson pulls his gun on Austin but is quickly shot from behind by Austin's new detective partner, Agent Andrew Milton.
  Old Man Jones witnesses this, and runs back to the camp to tell the players about what happened. He advises they give up and flee to somewhere, mentioning that Chuparosa is nice this time of year. Cripps tells him to calm down and reminds the players to be extra careful from now on.
  Cut back to Austin and Milton in the Pinkerton office, Austin tells Milton he done a good job as Samson was responsible for hundreds of robberies across many states, but he wasn't the target.
• Special unlock: Samson's revolver and outfit
• 2 - 4 players
• $2500, 20 gold to split

Brandywine Train Stop

• Planned by Cripps, derailing a Leviticus Cornwall train to steal bonds.
• 5 setups
  • Setup one has the players locate and steal some powerful explosives to derail the train.
  • Setup two has players steal a train schedule from the Saint Denis station, so they know when the train is due.
  • Setup three has players meet up with a fence to sell the bonds to, but they are attacked by Pinkertons sent by Austin Smith and must flee to safety.
  • Setup four has players rescue the fence from Van Horn, as he was captured by Pinkertons during the escape.
  • Setup five has players set the explosives up by the line, near Brandywine Drop and clear Murfree Brood from the area.
  • The finale has players wait by the line with Cripps until the train passes. Some of Cornwall's men and Pinkertons were riding ahead of the train and attack the players, who must fend them off. After the they fight them off, a cutscene triggers: the train nears, the players ride down as Cripps detonates the explosives, sending the train flying off the rails. Gameplay resumes as players have to climb into the carriage and have to find the documents. Upon climbing out, they find out that Agent Milton and the Pinkertons have captured Cripps. A deadeye scene triggers, where the players have to save Cripps. Milton flees. Everyone must then call their horses and ride out to safety in Ambarino.
• In the epilogue cutscene, Agents Smith and Milton are seen at the scene of the heist, where the mess is being cleaned up. Austin criticises Milton for his failure to apprehend the outlaws, and tells him he needs to do better to survive in the Pinkertons. He tells Milton he's off the case, and won't be pursuing our gang anymore. Agent Milton is clearly very angered by that, leading to it being one of his motivations for the storymode.
• Special unlock: Passenger train robbery random event, double valuables can be carried
• 2 - 4 players
• $4000, 20 gold to split

Fort Mercer Vault

• Planned by Cripps, raiding a secret vault underneath Fort Mercer
• 5 setups
  
  • Setup one has players locate a battering ram for the front gates
  • Setup two has players locate a war wagon to charge into the fort with
  • Setup three has players steal a wagon full of dynamite
  • Setup four has the players recruit a crew, consisting of Irish, Shaky and Landon Ricketts. Cripps also helps.
  • Setup five has players steal horse armour, so the horses pulling the wagons and battering ram are protected
  • The finale has the players ride in a convoy to Fort Mercer. Upon arriving it's heavily fortified at the front, so the players must use the war wagon to shoot down all the enemies, or get out and shoot them with their own weapons. Whilst they do this, Irish, Shakey, Landon and Cripps charge the gates with the battering ram, knocking it down. The players can then charge into the fort with the wagon or on foot, continuing to shoot everyone in there. They must make their way through the buildings and down a lot of stairs, defending the 4 NPC characters who are carrying dynamite for the vault. Upon reaching the vault, the dynamite is set and the players can charge in, filling their bags with gold. The NPCs also fill some dynamite crates with it. They must then shoot their way out, still defending the NPCs, and get back into the war wagon to ride near to the border for safety.
• In the epilogue cutscene, Agent Smith is seen being criticised for firing Milton and is told that if the players aren't caught by the end of the month - He will lose more than his job. Smith walks outside and into an alleyway, where he takes his frustrations out on a passing drunk.
• Special unlock: War wagon can now be purchased for $1250
• 4 players
• $6000, 20 gold to split

The Attack on Tumbleweed Manor

• Planned by the Sheriff of Tumbleweed, after Terrence has gone mad due to his wife abandoning him again.
• 3 setups
  • Setup one has players vandalise various businesses owned by Terrence around the state
  • Setup two has players contact Irish, in order to break the lock of the basement and break into the Mansion
  • Setup three has the players prepare to attack the mansion, but they are kidnapped by Agent Smith and his men. The players have to swing to break out of their seats, stealthily take out a few guards to get to their weapons and fight their way out.
  • The finale has the players storm the mansion from the basement, shooting their way through Terrence's guards and confront Terrence, who is hiding in his bedroom. The players must hogtie him and carry him to the Sheriff's office.
• In the epilogue cutscene, Smith confronts the Tumbleweed sheriff for working with criminals, threatening to take his job. This is why he is seen to have a firm grip on the town of tumbleweed, and not favour bounty hunters in the epilogue of RDR2's main story.
• Special unlock: Double pay for bounties started from Tumbleweed
• 2 - 4 players
• $2000, 10 gold to split

The Annesburg Mine Plunder

• Planned by Horley and Jessica, as an attack against Jeremiah Shaw, who has a lot of money invested in the mine.
• 4 setups
  
  • Setup one has players get information about the mine from a disgruntled worker, including what they'll need for the heist
  • Setup two has the players locate a heavy Minecart in which they can store the recently found deposit of gold
  • Setup three has the players locate a strongman to push the heavy cart up the ramps in the mine, they must rescue him from an ambush of other strongmen
  • Setup four has the players grab miner disguises, so they can get in easily
  • The finale has players stroll into the mine with the strongman and have to search the area for the gold storage. They must avoid raising suspicion by mining. Upon finding the storage, they must wheel the cart to it, when a cutscene triggers and they start loading the gold into it. They are then confronted by a gang of Murfree Brood, who were planning on robbing the mine too. They must defend the strongman from the Murfrees as they push the cart out. They then load the gold onto a wagon and flee to safety.
• The epilogue cutscene shows Jeremiah Shaw sitting in his office, writing a letter as Agent Smith comes to him and tells him about the robbery. He slams his pen down, before uttering the name "LeClerk."
• Special unlock: Pickaxe melee weapon, miner outfit. "Bar fight" random encounter/event
• 2 - 4 players
• $3000, 15 gold to split

The Ferry of Jeremiah Shaw

• Planned by Horley and Jessica as revenge against Jeremiah Shaw, who has money invested in it and will be on the boat.
• 5 setups
  • Setup one has players locate a set special Litchfield Repeaters, which can hold 2x the typical ammo
  • Setup two has players steal tickets to the ferry party, they can kill or spare the original ticket owners for a drop or raise in honour
  • Setup three has the players poison some of the guards meals, so they will be off sick when they intend on robbing the boat
  • Setup four has the players rescue Jessica LeClerk, who has been kidnapped due to Jeremiah's suspicion after her killing the other three people and robbing the mine. On their way out, they find some explosives
  • Setup five has the players sneak onto the boat ahead of time, and hide explosives around the engine.
  • The finale has the players sneak onto the boat the night before, this time with their bags and guns. They hide in a cabin until the boat starts moving, when they break out. One team robs party-goers of their money and valuables (and can kill or hogtie them if they wish) whilst the other looks for safes and other storage items. At the end, they confront Jeremiah Shaw and hogtie him to the explosives. They set off the bombs, from the other end of the boat via detonator, causing it to begin sinking and flee for the life-rafts, where they row to safety. Two players per boat, one shooting whilst the other rows. They get off near the huge rail bridge next to Valentine.
• The epilogue cutscene triggers when the players arrive at the shore, where agent Austin confronts them in person. He monologues about the crimes they've committed over the period of time he's been hunting them down and how as much as he'd love to watch them rot, he's just sick of them. He says there's snipers stationed on the nearby cliffs and bridge to kill the players from afar when he gives the word, before gesturing for them to do it. Nothing happens. He looks around, continuing to make wider gestures until Jessica LeClerk, Horley and Cripps arrive. They killed the snipers. Upon realising what's happened, Austin pulls out his gun in a last effort to kill everyone, but a deadeye scene triggers and all of the characters riddle him with bullets until he falls to the ground, dead.
  Back at the Pinkerton Offices, Andrew Milton is told about the demise of Austin Smith, and is informed he will be given his job, and a new partner - Agent Edgar Ross.
• Special unlock: Jessica LeClerk and Horley outfits, Jessica's "luxury wagon" as seen in 'Destroyed by Grief', 3 more posse slots (Totalling up to 10 active members)
• 4 players
• $8000, 20 gold to split

Money Money Money: The Rewards

Finales alone on easy difficulty, the maximum payout (without challenges) would be $30,000 and 150 gold

• Split evenly four ways is $7500 and 37.50 gold each

For completing the finales on hard difficulty, without the challenge bonuses, is $45,000 and 225 gold

• Split evenly four ways is $11,250 and 56.25 gold
  • This still doesn't include the 37 setup payouts of $40 per non-host player
  • With challenges, not including criminal mastermind is $14,000 each (Gold can vary)
  • Now imagine this with only 2 people, until the final heist which requires four players. That's a lot of maths, and a lot of money.

What do you think of these heists? Which would be your favourite one, and why?

If you like this concept, please be sure to share it around! The more shares it gets, the more likely it is for Rockstar to take notice!