Monthly Archives: October 2025

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Baltimore Ravens Show Signs of Life in New Power Rankings Despite 1-5 Start

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Baltimore Ravens Climb in Power Rankings Despite 1-5 Start

The Baltimore Ravens may be 1-5, but experts believe their season isn’t over yet. Despite a four-game losing streak and Lamar Jackson’s injury, the team made a surprising leap in Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) latest power rankings, jumping from No. 25 to No. 7.

According to PFF, the Ravens’ overall potential remains strong even amid injuries and inconsistent play. The site’s rankings factor in player grades, past team performance, and strength of schedule. Currently, PFF gives Baltimore a 39% chance to make the playoffs and a 3% chance to win the Super Bowl.

“As bad as things are in Baltimore, it’s hard to put a real microscope on this team given the injuries,” PFF noted. “The only way that’s going to happen is through a wild-card berth, but it also doesn’t happen until Lamar Jackson is back and healthy.”

Lamar Jackson’s Injury and Expected Return

Jackson has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury but is expected to return after the Ravens’ Week 7 bye. His absence has been felt, as the offense has scored only 13 total points in two games without him.

Head coach John Harbaugh told reporters earlier this week that Jackson’s recovery is “right on track” and that the team is optimistic he’ll be available in Week 8. “We’ve been smart with his timeline,” Harbaugh said. “When he’s back, we expect to get back to playing our brand of football.”

Experts Still Believe in the Ravens’ Potential

While PFF ranked the Ravens surprisingly high, other outlets have been more cautious. Most national media have Baltimore ranked between No. 19 and No. 25 entering Week 7.

NFL.com placed the Ravens at No. 23, writing: “Lamar Jackson is on track to be back after this week’s bye. Now, the bad: the Ravens are 1-5, with six more road games, and they probably need to go 9-2 or better to make the postseason. But Sunday offered a glimmer of hope that things could be better.”

The Ringer also noted the Ravens’ cautious optimism with Jackson’s recovery, saying: “Once he returns, this 1-5 team has to immediately be at its absolute best if it wants to make up the ground it has lost.”

Other outlets, including ESPN, CBS Sports, and Sports Illustrated, pointed to injuries and offensive inconsistency as major challenges. ESPN wrote, “The Ravens can’t win without Lamar Jackson,” while FOX Sports called backup quarterback Cooper Rush’s two starts “a disaster.”

Despite those critiques, analysts agree that Baltimore’s defense showed improvement in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams. The unit held Los Angeles to just 17 points and showed flashes of the physicality that once defined the franchise.

The Baltimore Ravens Have a Chance to Hit Reset

The Ravens head into their bye week hoping to regroup before a critical stretch of games. When play resumes, Baltimore will face the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, and Cleveland Browns — all teams hovering around the .500 mark.

If Jackson returns healthy and the offense regains its rhythm, Baltimore could still climb back into wild-card contention. The Ravens’ resilience is one reason many experts are not ready to count them out just yet.

As Harbaugh summed it up, “We’ve got a lot of football left. Our record doesn’t define what kind of team we can be.”

https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/baltimore-ravens/baltimore-ravens-power-rankings-week-7/

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Commanders Insider Makes Feelings Clear on What Treylon Burks Signing Really Means

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The Washington Commanders are running low on healthy wide receivers heading into their Week 7 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. The team will be without Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, their two top receivers, while Noah Brown remains on injured reserve.

### Commanders Thin at Wide Receiver Ahead of Cowboys Game

This leaves just four active receivers on the roster: Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, Jaylin Lane, and Robbie Chosen. It’s far from an ideal situation as the Commanders try to stay competitive in the NFC East race.

McLaurin has missed three straight games due to a quad injury, and Samuel is still dealing with a bruised heel that limited his performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. Brown hasn’t played since Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, and after weeks of uncertainty, the Commanders finally placed him on injured reserve.

The mounting injuries have forced General Manager Adam Peters to look for quick solutions, and this week he found one in former first-round pick Treylon Burks. Washington signed Burks to the practice squad after bringing him in for a visit.

### Adding Depth: The Treylon Burks Signing

Burks was drafted No. 18 overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 as a potential replacement for A.J. Brown. However, injuries and inconsistent play limited his production, leading the Titans to move on earlier this season. Washington’s decision to sign him is a low-risk move aimed at adding depth to an offense that is rapidly running out of options.

### Washington Insider Reacts

While signing Burks gives the Commanders another body at wide receiver, one insider believes it could also signal that the health outlook for McLaurin and Samuel is not improving soon. NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay shared his thoughts on X, saying:

> “I like the Burks signing. Super low risk and maybe pays off. But also pretty clear not much great news imminent with the current hurt WRs (McLaurin, Deebo).”

Currently, the Commanders have five wide receivers on the practice squad—an unusually high number—which highlights how much the front office is bracing for potential long-term absences.

### What’s Next for the Commanders?

Head coach Dan Quinn didn’t provide a firm update on McLaurin or Samuel this week but said the team would “see where things stand after the bye.” Washington’s next game following the Dallas matchup is a Monday Night Football showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, giving the injured players a little extra time to recover.

“We’ve had injuries all year, but that’s part of the game,” Quinn said Friday. “We’ll roll with the guys who are ready. It’s a good chance for some of our younger receivers to show what they can do.”

### Outlook for Week 7

The Commanders enter Week 7 with a 3-3 record and face a crucial divisional game against the Cowboys, who sit just behind them in the standings. With so many receivers out, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will likely rely more on short passes, tight end Zach Ertz, and the running game to keep the offense moving.

As Coach Quinn summed it up:

> “You never want to lose guys like Terry or Deebo, but we trust the next man up. That’s how this team has to operate.”
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-insider-treylon-burks-really-means/

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Professors weigh in on Trump administration’s demands for universities

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On “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” three professors from leading universities shared their perspectives on a significant development in higher education policy.

Representing the University of Virginia, the University of Arizona, and the University of Southern California, these experts discussed the Trump administration’s initiative requiring colleges to sign a nine-page “compact.”

This agreement asks institutions to commit to the administration’s higher education priorities. In return, colleges would receive preferred access to federal funding.

The conversation delved into the implications of this move for colleges and the broader impact on higher education in the United States.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/professors-weigh-in-on-trump-administrations-demands-for-universities/

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Transcript: Sen. Mark Kelly on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Oct. 19, 2025

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**Interview with Senator Mark Kelly on U.S. Military Actions and Domestic Issues**
*“Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” – October 19, 2025*

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**MARGARET BRENNAN:** And we begin with Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who’s here in studio with us. Good morning to you, Senator.

**SEN. MARK KELLY:** Good morning.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** A lot to get to. I want to start on what you are seeing as a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees. There are about 10,000 U.S. forces now built up in the Caribbean area, either on ships or in Puerto Rico. Three B-2 and B-52 bombers flew near Venezuela last week. There have now been six maritime strikes by U.S. Special Operations Forces. What is this adding up to? Is the Trump administration planning regime change in Venezuela?

**SEN. KELLY:** Well, I hope not. Regime change hasn’t ever really worked out well for us as a nation where we’ve supported that — whether it was in Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan. It doesn’t go the way we think, and it puts a tremendous number of Americans in harm’s way.

The U.S. military, the guys flying those missions now in B-52s close to the coast, those folks are at risk, members of the United States Navy now in this operation, which traditionally is a law enforcement operation, now escalating to something maybe, as the president talks about, regime change. I think this is the wrong move for this president. The Coast Guard has the resources to do this.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** To interdict—

**SEN. KELLY:** To interdict drugs. That’s the way this has traditionally been done. And I do worry about the legal authorities, or lack thereof, that the United States military has to conduct these kinds of strikes.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** And you’ve been briefed on what legal authorities are being invoked. Do you think they are insufficient at this point?

**SEN. KELLY:** They had a very hard time explaining to us the rationale, the legal rationale for doing this and the constitutionality of doing it. When you consider what the law of warfare, especially at sea, was — a very convoluted argument. It also included, by the way, a secret list of over 20 narco organizations, drug trafficking cartels. They wouldn’t share with us the list.

So the brief we got had a tremendous number of holes in it, and they had to go round and around to give us the legal rationale for doing this. And what I worry about, Margaret, are all these young military personnel that might find out, you know, months from now, that what they did was illegal.

And then you get to what are we trying to accomplish here? We want to keep fentanyl out of the United States. And I don’t know how widely known this is, but those routes through the Caribbean on boats are predominantly used to bring cocaine to Europe.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** To Europe?

**SEN. KELLY:** To Europe, yes.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Not to U.S. shores.

**SEN. KELLY:** That’s right. Fentanyl tends to come from a different way, and we do want to keep fentanyl out of the United States.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** But to this point, you just said the legality of what’s being done. CBS reporting indicates that the commander who was running Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, was pressured to leave his command post early, just a year into a four-year post, and that there were tensions with Secretary Hegseth that were leading up to that departure, which Hegseth characterized as just a retirement. You speak to the top officers—can they, with confidence, refuse unlawful orders without fear of retribution or even losing their pensions?

**SEN. KELLY:** Well, I don’t know about losing their pension, but they should. This is more important than any single person. This is about our democracy at this point, and those admirals and generals, they need to speak truth to power.

I’ve had conversations with the most senior members of our military about this specific thing. They cannot be breaking the law. Doesn’t matter if the president or the Secretary of Defense tells them to do something. If it’s against the law, they have to say no. They’re not required to follow an unlawful order. So we expect that from them.

I don’t know the exact circumstances why the admiral quit. He hasn’t said publicly yet. I expect in time we’re going to find out more.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** But you think he did quit? It wasn’t just a retirement, suddenly?

**SEN. KELLY:** I don’t know. They could have forced him out. He could have quit. He could have said, “Hey, you’re not accepting my advice, you need somebody else in here.” I don’t know. I hate to speculate about it.

He had a long service in the U.S. military —

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** 37 years.

**SEN. KELLY:** Highly decorated, and a tremendous leader. I appreciate his service to this country.

All of us, all U.S. citizens, would be better served if this administration listened to the advice of those military leaders, especially the Secretary of Defense, who thinks he is really good at this. He should have never had this job. He was unqualified for the job, and in my view, the president should have fired him multiple times.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** On Ukraine, you’ve been an outspoken supporter of it. Some of the pilots trained in your state. After President Zelenskyy met with President Trump on Friday, he said they sort of agreed to disagree on whether to get these long-range missiles, these Tomahawks, that would allow them to fire into Russia. Where does that stand? President Biden wouldn’t do this either.

**SEN. KELLY:** Yeah. So I spoke to Zelenskyy three weeks ago in New York, right after his meeting with Donald Trump, and we talked about Tomahawks in that meeting. Much longer range — over 1,000 miles, 700-pound warhead. Really good—

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Game changing.

**SEN. KELLY:** Game changing. The president said he would consider giving them this weapon system. And then he had a conversation with Vladimir Putin.

And I think it’s important for people to recognize, Vladimir Putin is a former KGB officer. He is a master manipulator. The president has one view. Then he talks to Vladimir Putin, and he changes his story on this.

Of course, Putin does not want Ukraine to get a longer-range missile that could go after targets deep into Russia, beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, by the way. It can range targets much further. It’s a very accurate, very survivable weapon, and Putin has a conversation with him, and those weapons are now off the table.

Hey, I think Ukraine can handle it if we can give them enough rounds, and we have them in our inventory, and enough launchers. Ground launchers are rather new to this system, something we got rid of for a long period of time. They’ve demonstrated their ability to operate a sophisticated weapon system like the F-16. They could handle this and it would help.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Zelenskyy says they’re going to continue to try to persuade President Trump. I have to ask you about the shutdown. The Republican Leader John Thune has offered to sit down with Democrats to discuss Obamacare, but on the condition that Democrats end the shutdown. He posted this on social media. Can you bank this as a win and agree to start negotiations?

**SEN. KELLY:** That’s what we want. We want negotiations—

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Is it enough?

**SEN. KELLY:** On how to fix— I didn’t look at his tweet, but what we need is to fix this skyrocketing premium. They’re going to go up on November 1 for people; they can’t afford it. People in my state—

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Either way, they are going up.

**SEN. KELLY:** I’ve talked to so many people. This woman, Emily, whose husband is a pastor who has three kids, says without the Affordable Care Act, she cannot have insurance for her children. They don’t get it through his work.

So what we need to do is fix this health care premium issue and open the government.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** But don’t you need to do that before November 1, when premiums go up? Are you going to end the shutdown before November 1?

**SEN. KELLY:** I would like to. I’d like to. We should be able to wrap this up this week if they will sit down and have a negotiation with us. The president has spent one hour negotiating this issue with leadership in Congress. That’s it, one hour. They need to get in a room and stay in a room until we can hash this out.

The president has said he wants to fix this premium thing and he wants the government open. That’s what we want.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Well, we’ll see if there’s progress this week. Senator, thank you for your time.

**SEN. KELLY:** Thank you.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mark-kelly-arizona-democrat-face-the-nation-10-19-2025/

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No Puka, no problem: Matthew Stafford throws 5 TDs as Rams dominate Jaguars in London

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**Goodbye London. Hello Bye Week.**

The Rams ended an extended road trip and welcomed some time off with a 35-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

Matthew Stafford passed for five touchdowns—three to Davante Adams, one each to rookies Konata Mumpfield and Terrance Ferguson—and edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young led a mostly suffocating defense as the Rams improved their record to 5-2 heading into an off week.

In a light rain and without injured star receiver Puka Nacua, coach Sean McVay and Stafford spread the ball around to 10 different receivers during a victory that made the nine-day road trip worth it.

The Rams were coming off a 17-3 road win over the Baltimore Ravens. They stayed in Baltimore last week, practicing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards before departing for London on Friday. Arriving Saturday, they played on Sunday—and showed no signs of jet lag.

Verse kicked off the game with a sack on Trevor Lawrence on the very first play. The Rams jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead and cruised as McVay remained unbeaten in London games.

Young, rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart, linebacker Nate Landman, lineman Larrell Murchison, and safety Quentin Lake contributed to a combined seven sacks on Lawrence. Lake, who also forced a fumble, and lineman Kobie Turner batted down passes in the backfield.

In 2017, McVay’s first season, the Rams routed the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium. Two years later, they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium. Though Sunday’s game was played thousands of miles from Southern California, it had a familiar Rams family feel.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen was an assistant under McVay, and Jaguars first-year general manager James Gladstone worked for nine years under Rams general manager Les Snead.

The upcoming week off should benefit Nacua, who did not play due to an ankle injury sustained against the Ravens. The Rams decided to rest the third-year pro and let him heal before facing the New Orleans Saints on November 2 at SoFi Stadium.

Nacua’s absence opened the door for Adams and others. By the end of the first quarter, Stafford had completed passes to seven of eight different receivers targeted, including touchdowns to Mumpfield and two to Adams. Stafford also connected with Ferguson and Adams for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Adams and Stafford, who said in Baltimore they were still working to find their timing together, finally found it on Sunday. Adams caught five passes for 35 yards, with all of his short touchdown receptions coming on the kinds of red-zone plays the Rams envisioned when they signed the three-time All-Pro.

Stafford completed 21 of 33 passes for only 182 yards, but he made them count.

For the first time since 2021, the Rams will go into their bye week with a winning record. In 2023, the Rams were 3-6 at the bye and then won seven of eight games to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs. Last season, they were 1-4 at the bye and then won nine of 12 games to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs.

Sunday’s victory trends closer to 2017, when the Rams shut out the Cardinals, 33-0, at Twickenham Stadium to improve to 5-2 heading into the bye. The Rams went on to win the NFC West and make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

After taking trips to Tennessee, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and London, the Rams will leave the West Coast only twice more—for a November 30 game at Carolina and a December 29 game at Atlanta. They have to feel good about that as they prepare for the long flight home.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2025-10-19/matthew-stafford-rams-defeat-jaguars-london-wembley

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Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code WTOP20X: Double Your Winnings on NFL Week 7

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https://wtop.com/sports/2025/10/caesars-sportsbook-promo-code-wtop20x-double-your-winnings-on-nfl-week-7/

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Limp Bizkit band members say bass player Sam Rivers has died

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Sam Rivers, the bass player in the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, died on Saturday, according to social media posts by his bandmates. The band did not disclose where Rivers died or the circumstances but praised him as “pure magic” and “the soul in the sound.”

“From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced,” they wrote in a group Instagram post. “His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”

Fred Durst, the band’s frontman, posted a video recalling how they met at a club in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, before going on to music stardom and performances around the globe.

“He really did have an impact on the world, and his music and his gift is the one that’s going to keep on giving,” Durst said. “I just love him so much.”

Rivers had spoken publicly about heavy drinking that had caused liver disease. He left the band in 2015 and received a liver transplant before reuniting with Limp Bizkit three years later.

Limp Bizkit has scheduled a tour of Central and South America beginning in Mexico City in late November.

With roots in Jacksonville, Florida, Limp Bizkit emerged in the late 1990s with a sound that melds alternative rock, heavy metal, and rap. Their off-the-wall sense of humor is reflected in the titles of their mega-selling 2000 album, *Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water*, and a single released last month, “Making Love to Morgan Wallen.”
https://wsvn.com/entertainment/limp-bizkit-band-members-say-bass-player-sam-rivers-has-died/

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Why men are leaving the left — and not coming back

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The Democratic Party is experiencing a decline in support among men. This shift is largely due to a perceived lack of authenticity within the party’s messaging and leadership.

Efforts to attract male voters through branding and beer advertisements have not resonated as intended. These superficial appeals fail to connect on a deeper level with men who are looking for more meaningful values.

At the heart of the issue is the party’s failure to embody qualities such as strength, duty, and sacrifice—qualities that many men find important in their leaders. Without these attributes, the Democratic Party struggles to inspire and retain male voters.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5561387-democratic-party-losing-men/

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Atlanta United fires coach Ronny Deila following 5-16-3 record in his only season

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ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta United coach Ronny Deila was fired Sunday, just one day after the conclusion of a disappointing 5-16-3 season. Deila’s dismissal came after only one year at the helm.

Atlanta United CEO and president Garth Lagerwey announced that a global search for a new head coach would begin immediately.

“It was evident that our standard of play was not met this season, and together with our senior leadership team, we have decided that it was in Atlanta United’s best interest to move the team in a different direction,” Lagerwey said in a statement released by the team.

“Ultimately, we owe our fans a much better on-field product and it is our unwavering commitment to provide that to this community as soon as possible,” he added.

Lagerwey also expressed his gratitude toward Deila, saying he “thanked him for his time and commitment to the organization and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

The season concluded on Saturday night with a 1-1 draw against D.C. United. It was also the final appearance for longtime goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who announced his retirement earlier this week.

Deila was hired by Atlanta United on December 20, 2024, marking his return to Major League Soccer three years after leading New York City FC to the 2021 MLS Cup championship.

He was given a three-year contract to replace Rob Valentino, who had served as interim head coach following the firing of Gonzalo Pineda in June 2024.

Atlanta United enjoyed immediate success after entering MLS in 2017, making the playoffs in their inaugural season and winning the MLS Cup the following year while setting several league attendance records.

However, the club has not secured a trophy since the 2019 season, when it captured both the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup and made a run to the MLS Eastern Conference final.

___

AP Soccer
https://wtop.com/dc-united/2025/10/atlanta-united-fires-coach-ronny-deila-following-5-16-3-record-in-his-only-season/

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‘A glimmer of hope’: What does GTA 6 mean for Red Dead Online?

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Despite the success of *Red Dead Redemption 2*, *Red Dead Online* hasn’t quite lived up to its potential since breaking free from beta in mid-2019. That’s not to say it isn’t a good game. With the right mix of players on any populated server, Rockstar’s multiplayer cowboy crime sim still ranks among the most entertaining open-world games in 2025.

However, despite its scope to match the ambition of *GTA Online* once upon a time, *Red Dead Online* instead persists in the lurching shadow of its modern-day cousin. In fact, so neglected has *Red Dead Online* been over the last few years that even the most ardent fans—those who signed the several-thousand-strong #SaveRedDeadOnline petition of 2023—would have likely given up on the game at the beginning of this year.

Now, however, with *Red Dead Online* riding high on a new lease of life—after receiving a handful of new missions for the first time in years—and with the *GTA 6* release date coming into focus, could our return to Vice City help break new ground in the Old West?

“Back in July, Rockstar unexpectedly dropped a brand-new *Red Dead Online* content trailer for the first time in over four years, which gave me a real glimmer of hope they might return to the game in a bigger way once *GTA VI* is out and their resources free up,” says prominent Rockstar commentator Ben, aka Videotechuk.

“Rockstar also seems to be building on the *Strange Tales of the West* content in the coming months,” he adds, “and with current rumours of new current-gen versions in the works, Rockstar could have the footprint to deliver more *Red Dead Online* updates without being held back by the Xbox One and PS4.”

Even a cursory glance into *Red Dead Online*’s corner of the GTA Forums highlights a flurry of activity, reignited interest, and general buzz around *Red Dead Online* in the wake of July’s update—something that’s been entirely missing in recent years. There, a whole host of newcomers, lapsed wranglers, and hardcore players (including one chap who’s logged close to 10,000 hours) are happily sharing fables from the frontier, making it a lovely place to explore.

It’s a safe bet that the core of Rockstar’s dev team will remain focused on *GTA 6* long after the crime sim lands on May 26 of next year—with many of those folks, you’d assume, transitioning onto work on whatever shape *GTA Online 2.0* takes following the base game’s arrival.

Once all of that falls into place, though, wouldn’t it make sense to return some focus to *Red Dead Online*, given the renewed interest and strong opposition to putting it out to pasture entirely? Ben certainly thinks so.

“Also, it’s kind of a no-brainer to come back as *Red Dead 2* continues to sell better than most modern-day titles on this market, which is just nuts.”
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/a-glimmer-of-hope-what-does-gta-6-mean-for-red-dead-online/