Red Dead Redemption 2: Best Mods for 2020 (& How to Install Them) (2024)

There is a lot of content in Red Dead Redemption 2 to keep players busy. Despite being out for a couple of years at this point, players are still exploring the the game's world and finding new and exciting things tucked away in different corners of the map. On top of this, players also have Red Dead Online to check out which offers even more challenges and fun missions for players to sink their teeth into. For some players though the game is starting to feel a little stale, so they need something to shake things up.

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For those players out there who want something new in Red Dead Redemption 2, mods are always a great way to keep things feeling fresh. The modding community for Red Dead Redemption 2 has created all kinds of things that range from ridiculous to very functional. Players can use mods to change combat up in fun ways or alter the environment around them considerably. This guide will show players which mods they should check out and how to install them.

Red Dead Redemption 2: How to Install Mods

While it is possible to install and manage mods by hand, the process can be incredibly confusing, and inexperienced modders can make some serious mistakes. The way to avoid this is to download a mod manager that keeps everything in one easy to browse location. Currently, the best Red Dead Redemption 2 mod manager is RDR2 Mod Manager. This mod manager can be kind of finicky at times because it is still relatively new. When it works though it makes it a lot simpler to sort through mods and activate or deactivate at will.

Players can then go to Nexus Mods to check out all the mods available for RDR2 at the moment. Luckily, all of the mods should come with instructions on how exactly they work and how to install each one properly. Players should make sure to follow all instructions they find to the letter if they want everything to run properly. Once everything has been installed and added to the mod manager, players will also want to create a folder on their computer where they can keep all of the mods in one place. If something goes wrong in-game they'll want to know exactly where they are in case they need to mess around with the files.

A small warning for those looking to mod Red Dead Redemption 2 though. Rockstar has no issues with players modding their games during single-player modes, but they frown upon modders in Red Dead Online. Make sure to keep all mods inside the single-player experience and don't use them to cheat while playing against other players. Not only is this wrong, but Rockstar will most likely ban any player caught cheating in Red Dead Online.

Red Dead Redemption 2: Best Mods for 2020

• Model Swap- With this mod players are able to swap out Arthur Morgan for any NPC or animal. This means that players could run around in the world as the charismatic Dutch Van Der Linde or could take control of a hawk and fly around hundreds of feet off the ground. Having this mod installed can completely change the way that the game is played.
• Simple Ragdoll- There is nothing funnier than watching Arthur trip and fall flat on his face. By having this mod installed players can trigger ragdoll whenever they wish to make Arthur crumple to the ground. There is also a drunk ragdoll option that forces Arthur to walk around and fall like he just finished drinking an entire bottle of whiskey.
• Red Dead Redemption 2 Trainer- For those who have grown bored of Red Dead Redemption 2, but don't want to spend a lot of time finding different mods, this trainer mod is for them. Basically it will give players access to all kinds of in-game cheats like infinite health, infinite ammo, infinite dead eye, and the ability to set their bounty. There are many different options that players will have access to that will turn Arthur Morgan into a god.
• Longer Days- While exploring in Red Dead it can sometimes feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. This mod is perfect because players are given full reign on how long days and nights last. If players think the cycle should last exactly 24 hours in the real world then they are more than able to make that happen.
• Hunting Wagon- This mod is perfect for players who want to go on a long hunting trip, but don't want to make constant trips back to camp or to town to dump their trophies. Horses can only carry a few pelts or animal carcasses at a time, so it can be annoying to try and hunt several animals at once. This mod gives players a summonable hunting wagon that they can load their hunting trophies into. Once it is full players can even send it back to camp with the press of a button.
• Ped Damage Overhaul- This one is extremely brutal but makes combat a lot more realistic than it normally would. Whenever random pedestrians take damage they will respond in more realistic ways. Shooting a leg will cause them to limp around or firing a shotgun at their stomach will cause them to fall down while blood spurts out of them. This mod is not for the faint of heart, but it definitely adds a level of realism to the violence in-game.
• Blink (Teleportation)- One of the biggest complaints that players had with Red Dead Redemption 2 was the lack of a reliable fast travel system. This mod doesn't quite solve that problem but does make navigation just a little bit simpler. Basically once Blink is installed players can teleport to any location that they can physically see. This will at least allow players to move across the environment faster than if they were on foot or on a horse.
• FreeCam- For those players out there who are always trying to get the best screencaps, the FreeCam mod was created specifically for them. Once this mod is installed, players can detach the camera from Arthur's perspective and move it around however they wish. They can even fly hundreds of feet in the air and get some impressive aerial views.
• Photorealistic Reshade- Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best looking games ever made from its character models to its impressive environments. It seems like it would be impossible to make the game look any better than it already does, but this mod manages to pull off just that. This mod will enhance the game's colors as well as the shadow and lighting effects. It also makes the image quality sharper and more intense.
• TheyKeepComing- This is a very interesting mod for players who like to fight off hordes of enemies. By activating this mod players will be dropped into the middle of the cemetery in Saint Denis where they must fight of waves of enemies. Players can set up traps and use mounted guns to take down the horde, and players can keep fighting until they inevitably die. The mod even keeps track of the player's highest score.

Next: Where to Find The Legendary Gabbro Horn Ram Location in Red Dead Online

Red Dead Redemption 2 can be played on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4.