Red Dead Online's new NPC will drug you if you kill animals

(Image credit: Rockstar)

Red Dead Online's Naturalist update arrived yesterday, giving cowboys a new Frontier Pursuit to embark upon. You can work for conservationist Harriet Davenport, who wants to study and protect animals, and big game hunter Gus Macmillan, who just wants to turn them into nifty outfits. So far, it looks like the Red Dead Online community is Team Gus.

You can try to play both sides, but Harriet won't be happy if she catches you with animal hides or hears about your misdeeds. Along with giving you a stern telling off, she'll spray you with a tranquilliser drug if you try to chat to her, putting something of a strain on your business relationship.

If you killed an animal and carried the hide to Harriet. She will get mad at you and this will happen. from r/RedDeadOnline

It's not a one-time thing, either. Keep hunting and she'll keep spraying you. It's the only way you'll learn.

Gus, meanwhile, rewards you for killing animals, giving you unique outfits—one of main reasons to play Red Dead Online. Not surprisingly, then, he's proving to be a bit more popular among players.

I really enjoyed paying 25 Gold Bars just to get drugged /s from r/RedDeadOnline

'Bout time we got legendary animals from r/RedDeadOnline

Yep, I’m vegan now from r/RedDeadOnline

Low Quality meme that gets the point across. from r/RedDeadOnline

Poor Harriet. She should kick things up and notch and just start hunting the hunters like a relentless, Mr X-style stalker that makes every cowboy wet their breeches.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.