As you play Red Dead Redemption 2, you'll start to see notifications informing you that you've completed a challenge. Now this all sounds fine and dandy, but you're likely asking yourself: "What does completing challenges do? Heck, why should I even bother completing them?" That's a fair question, and we're here to answer it for you, whether you're jumping into the new PC version or the existing PS4 or Xbox One versions.
Challenges are gameplay feats you complete to earn XP and unlock upgraded equipment for purchase at your local trapper, such as new Gun Belts, Bandoliers, Holsters, and Off-Hand Holsters. Each piece posses its own perks that increase either ammo capacity or decrease weapon degradation rate. Equipping them even improves your general statistics, but more on that in a second.
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There are nine challenge categories in total, each with ten feats to complete. As you'd expect, the feats vary per category. For example, the Bandit challenges have you working to hold up townsfolk, steal wagons, and amass a sizable bounty, while the Explorer challenges focus on you finding treasure. It's important to note that you must complete challenges in sequential order, so you can't just prioritize completing the seventh challenge over the first few only because it's easier.
Completing challenges is a worthwhile endeavor, as the equipment you unlock offers bonus bars around your Health, Stamina, and Dead Eye Cores when you complete the set. You are rewarded an extra bar when you complete one of the three sets associated with that statistic. And you unlock an additional bar to that statistic once you've acquired all three sets associated with it. The table below contains details on which equipment set is associated with which attribute.
Attribute
Equipment Set
Health
Horseman
Sharpshooter
Weapons Expert
Stamina
Bandit
Gambler
Master Hunter
Dead Eye
Explorer
Herbalist
Survivalist
There's even an extra bonus in store for you upon completing all 90 challenges. You unlock a special outfit called "Legend of the East," which provides hefty bonuses to Arthur's statistics. If that's something you're aspiring towards, you're in luck as we've compiled every single challenge in the game for your reference, so get crackin'!
Bandit
Challenge
Description
Reward
Bandit 1
Hold up five townsfolk
Bandit Bandolier
Bandit 2
Rob two stage coaches or complete two stage coach robbery missions
$5 + 25 Dead Eye XP
Bandit 3
Rob a cash register in any four shops in one day
Bandit Holster
Bandit 4
Rob three stage coaches in a single day
$10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Bandit 5
Amass a $250 bounty in one State
$10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Bandit 6
Steal five horses and sell them to the horse Fence at Clemens Cove
$15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Bandit 7
Rob $50 worth of cash and valuables from townsfolk and travelers
Bandit Off-Hand Holster
Bandit 8
Steal seven wagons and sell them to the Fence at Emerald Ranch
$15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Bandit 9
Hogtie someone and leave them on railroad tracks three times
$20 + 150 Dead Eye XP
Bandit 10
Complete five train robberies without dying or getting caught
Bandit Gun Belt
Explorer
Challenge
Description
Reward
Explorer 1
Find a treasure map
Explorer Holster
Explorer 2
Find a treasure
$5 + 25 Stamina XP
Explorer 3
Find a treasure
Explorer Bandolier
Explorer 4
Find a treasure
$10 + 50 Stamina XP
Explorer 5
Find a treasure
$10 + 50 Stamina XP
Explorer 6
Find a treasure
$15 + 100 Stamina XP
Explorer 7
Find a treasure
Explorer Gun Belt
Explorer 8
Find a treasure
$15 + 100 Stamina XP
Explorer 9
Find a treasure
$20 + 150 Stamina XP
Explorer 10
Find a treasure
Explorer Off-Hand Holster
Gambler
Challenge
Description
Reward
Gambler 1
Win five hands of poker
Gambler Holster
Gambler 2
In blackjack, double down and win the hand five times
$5 + 25 Dead Eye XP
Gambler 3
Win three games of five finger filet
Gambler Bandolier
Gambler 4
Bust a poker opponent out in Flatneck Station, Saint Denis, and Valentine
$10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Gambler 5
Win three rounds of dominoes without drawing any tiles against two or fewer opponents
$10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Gambler 6
Beat a blackjack dealer in Rhodes and Van Horn
$15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Gambler 7
Beat the five finger filet player in Strawberry, Valentine, and Van Horn
Gambler Gun Belts
Gambler 8
Win three hands of blackjack with three hits or more
$15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Gambler 9
Win three consecutive games of dominoes
$20 + 150 Dead Eye XP
Gambler 10
Win three consecutive hands of poker
Gambler Off-Hand Holster
Herbalist
Challenge
Description
Reward
Herbalist 1
Pick six yarrow
Herbalist Off-Hand Holster
Herbalist 2
Pick and eat four species of berry
$5 + 25 health XP
Herbalist 3
Craft seven items using sage as an ingredient
Herbalist Gun Belt
Herbalist 4
Pick five mushrooms and feed them to your horse
$10 + 50 Health XP
Herbalist 5
Craft nine items using the Indian tobacco as an ingredient
$10 + 50 Health XP
Herbalist 6
Pick 15 different species of herb
$15 + 100 Health XP
Herbalist 7
Craft and use five special miracle Tonics
Herbalist Holster
Herbalist 8
Use oleander to craft six poison weapons
$15 + 100 Health XP
Herbalist 9
Pick one of each species of herb
$20 + 150 Health XP
Herbalist 10
Season and cook all 11 types of meat
Herbalist Bandolier
Horseman
Challenge
Description
Reward
Horseman 1
Kill five rabbits from horseback
Horseman Gun Belt
Horseman 2
Jump over three obstacles in 15 seconds
$5 + 25 Stamina XP
Horseman 3
Ride from Valentine to Rhodes in less than five minutes
Horseman Holster
Horseman 4
While mounted, drag a victim for 3,300 feet using your lasso
$10 + 50 Stamina XP
Horseman 5
Trample five animals with your horse
$10 + 50 Stamina XP
Horseman 6
Ride from Strawberry to Saint Denis in less than nine minutes without touching water
$15 + 100 Stamina XP
Horseman 7
Kill seven enemies from horseback without dismounting
Horseman Bandolier
Horseman 8
Kill nine predators from horseback
$15 + 100 Stamina XP
Horseman 9
Ride from Van Horn to Blackwater in less than 17 minutes without touching water
$20 + 150 Stamina XP
Horseman 10
Break every single wild horse breed
Horseman Off-Hand Holster
Master Hunter
Challenge
Description
Reward
Master Hunter 1
Skin three deer
Master Hunter Off-Hand Holster
Master Hunter 2
Get three perfect-quality rabbit pelts
$5 + 25 Health XP
Master Hunter 3
Track 10 different animal species using your binoculars
Master Hunter Bandolier
Master Hunter 4
Get a clean kill after calling to an animal five times
$10 + 50 Health XP
Master Hunter 5
Skin three black bears or grizzly bears
$10 + 50 Health XP
Master Hunter 6
Kill five cougars with your bow and skin them
$15 + 100 Health XP
Master Hunter 7
Use a bait to lure and kill both an herbivore and predator
Master Hunter Gun Belt
Master Hunter 8
Catch three fish without using a fishing rod (aka use dynamite)
$15 + 100 Health XP
Master Hunter 9
Catch an opossum playing possum
$20 + 150 Health XP
Master Hunter 10
Track and kill a Legendary Panther
Master Hunter Holster
Sharpshooter
Challenge
Description
Reward
Sharpshooter 1
Kill three flying birds
Sharpshooter Bandolier
Sharpshooter 2
Kill two different animal species in the same Dead Eye use
$5 + 25 Dead Eye XP
Sharpshooter 3
Kill five flying birds while moving on a train
Sharpshooter Holster
Sharpshooter 4
Kill an enemy at least 80 feet away with a throwing tomahawk
$10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Sharpshooter 5
Kill six animals without switching or reloading your weapon
$10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Sharpshooter 6
Kill someone at least 660 feet away with a long scoped rifle
$15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Sharpshooter 7
Land seven headshots in a row
Sharpshooter Off-Hand Holster
Sharpshooter 8
Disarm three enemies without reloading or switching your weapon
$15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Sharpshooter 9
Shoot three people's hats off in the same Dead Eye use
$20 + 150 Dead Eye XP
Sharpshooter 10
Kill three flying birds with three consecutive long scoped rifle shots
Sharpshooter Gun Belt
Survivalist
Challenge
Description
Reward
Survivalist 1
Catch a bluegill
Survivalist Gun Belt
Survivalist 2
Hand five animals to the camp or trapper
$5 + 25 Stamina
Survivalist 3
Kill five animals using a Varmint rifle
Survivalist Off-Hand Holster
Survivalist 4
Craft dynamite, fire, improved, poison, and small game arrows
$10 + 50 Stamina
Survivalist 5
Catch a fish in the Bayou from a riverboat and while standing on railroad tracks
$10 + 50 Stamina
Survivalist 6
Kill a scavenging animal while it is feeding on a corpse five times
$15 + 100 Stamina
Survivalist 7
Kill eight small game animals using small game arrows
Survivalist Bandolier
Survivalist 8
Craft a homing tomahawk, improved tomahawk, volatile dynamite, and volatile fire bottle
$15 + 100 Stamina
Survivalist 9
Catch a fish that weighs at least 19 pounds
$20 + 150 Stamina
Survivalist 10
Catch one of each type of fish in the world
Survivalist Holster
Weapons Expert
Challenge
Description
Reward
Weapons Expert 1
Kill three enemies with a knife
Weapons Expert Holster
Weapons Expert 2
Kill three enemies in 10 seconds with throwing knives
$5 + 25 Health XP
Weapons Expert 3
Kill three birds of prey with a tomahawk
Weapons Expert Gun Belt
Weapons Expert 4
Kill 10 enemies with a shotgun loaded with crafted ammo
$10 + 50 Health XP
Weapons Expert 5
Kill five mounted enemies with one throwing knife per kill
$10 + 50 Health XP
Weapons Expert 6
Kill a group of four enemies with a single stick of dynamite
$15 + 100 Health XP
Weapons Expert 7
Kill four consecutive enemies by throwing and retrieving the same tomahawk
Weapons Expert Off-Hand Holster
Weapons Expert 8
Kill 15 enemies with a long-barreled sidearm
$15 + 100 Health XP
Weapons Expert 9
Kill nine unaware enemies with a bow
$20 + 150 Health XP
Weapons Expert 10
Kill a grizzly bear with throwing knives without taking damage
Weapons Expert Bandolier
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Matt is a GameSpot Editor who, like a Dragon Quest Slime, strives to spread love and joy to the world. He's been with GameSpot since 2014 and specializes in guides and features for the site. He likes to play video games, watch Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, learn musical instruments, and mod GBAs.
