Rockstar stops modders from spawning KKK members in Red Dead Online

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar's multiplayer Wild West-fest Red Dead Online, like the older GTA Online, has its fair share of hackers. Sometimes they do funny things, like turning into two-headed skeletons and punching out cowboys, or messing with Chris in various ways. Other times, they use cheats to spawn KKK members and harass other players.

The KKK isn't a part of the Red Dead Online world, but as Polygon explains, it exists in the singleplayer campaign of Red Dead Redemption 2, and that's enabled players to use mods to bring the white supremacist group to the multiplayer setting. Some players have reported a recent uptick in KKK-related hacks and cheats on the RDO subreddit.

Earlier today, Tez2 reported on Twitter that a new update eliminates the ability to spawn KKK "peds"—Red Dead's in-game models—in Red Dead Online on PC. Some players seem unhappy that Rockstar addressed this issue relatively quickly but not more widespread technical problems, but it's something, even if it falls well short of implementing friend-only sessions in RDO, as some players have called for.

Rockstar didn't formally announce the update, but it did confirm with Polygon that it updated the game to disable the cheat.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.