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Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of gameplay subtleties that are only part of the reason the game is beheld as a masterpiece and one of this generation's defining highlights. One of these subtleties involves the ability to initiate a quick draw in the style of what has been seen in old western films and the like.
The Dead Eye ability is the focus of Red Dead Redemption 2's gunplay, which has been tuned since its release for fun third-person cover shooting. However, players also have the little-known ability to quickdraw with ne'er-do-wells when roaming the plans of New Hanover or swampy areas of Lemoyne. Here's how to quickdraw in RDR2.
Updated on March 17, 2023, by Sean Murray: We've updated this guide with better formatting for greater readability.
The Step-By-Step Process
- Hold down the left trigger
- Lightly squeeze the right trigger
- Wait for the bar in the bottom right to fill up
- Press down hard on the right trigger
When you see an unsavory character out and about, or someone that you don't much take a liking to, hold down the left trigger to keep your camera focused on them.
When you feel confident that they are in your line of sight upon pulling out your revolver, lightly hold the right trigger until a circular bar in the bottom-right corner of the screen has been filled up.
Then, press down the rest of the way on the right trigger and Arthur Morgan will pull out his revolver and be able to fire away at one or more painted enemies. It's fairly simple, once you get the hang of it.
It is possible to pull the trigger too fast and end up in a Butch Cassidy situation. However, correctly executing the above steps will allow you to be one of the best shots (and vigilantes) in the west.
Counts As Entering Dead Eye
Some of the best trinkets in the game are the ones that contribute to Dead Eye. You might think that using this move instead of just going straight to Dead Eye will waste those bonuses. Thankfully, the quickdraw mechanic makes use of these trinkets just fine.
After pulling out a gun with a quickdraw, Arthur enters Dead Eye and gets all the benefits from entering Dead Eye, including any perks unlocked by talismans or plot devices.
Reason To Use Quickdraw
Players might ask themselves, "Why bother with quickdraw at all instead of just entering Dead Eye?" There are two great reasons for this.
First, Arthur will start off by aiming at the target with quickdraw, meaning there's no time wasted trying to focus on the enemy.
Second, Arthur will have his gun out at the beginning of the Dead Eye, so there's no time wasted waiting for Mr. Morgan to pull out his gun.
For a resource as limited as Dead Eye is, this tactic essentially saves the most valued mechanic in the game from emptying out. It's like getting one of the best upgrades in the game simply for pulling this move off.
Only Works With Some Sidearms
Have at least one revolver equipped as a sidearm.
There are plenty of sidearms that are capable of making this shot. Many special weapons (including some weapons where the very name of them is a spoiler) fit nicely into the category of weapons capable of pulling off a quickdraw. If nothing else, the very first revolver Arthur starts with works for this ability.
But not every sidearm can pull this off; it appears as though pistols don't work. To anyone's knowledge, revolvers are the only eligible weapons for pulling off a quick draw.
Avoid Collateral Damage
Unless you play as a more villainous Arthur Morgan who mercilessly guns down innocent civilians in towns, you'd be wise to reserve your bullets for more sinister passersby or overly defensive travelers.
The quickdraw mechanic allows you to effectively execute preemptive strikes, after all, so if you feel you're in danger, don't be afraid to take advantage of the quick draw mechanic.
Just be prepared for the possibility that the authorities may soon be on your trail should you use the mechanic without caution.