25 gold bars in Red Dead Online cost $9.99 if purchasing directly from the in-game store. At the standard rate of $0.40 per gold bar, this works out to a total value of $10 for 25 bars.
Purchasing Gold Bars
You can buy gold bars with real money through microtransactions in the Red Dead Online in-game store. The bundles available are:
- 25 Gold Bars – $9.99
- 55 Gold Bars – $19.99
- 150 Gold Bars – $49.99
- 245 Gold Bars – $74.99
Based on the 25 gold bar bundle, each individual gold bar equates to around $0.40 of real money. This aligns with the value of higher quantity bundles as well.
As you can see, buying larger quantities of gold bars provides increased savings, with each additional bar costing less overall. For example, 245 bars at $74.99 works out to only $0.31 per bar compared to $0.40 for 25 bars.
Is Buying Gold Bars Worth it?
Whether buying gold is worthwhile depends on your personal playstyle and goals:
- For casual players, buying 25-55 bars can quickly unlock roles and cosmetics you want for $10-$20. This can vastly improve the early game experience.
- For hardcore players, 150+ bars for $50+ lets you immediately purchase everything available and maximize late game activities.
- For economic players, earning bars slowly through grinding may feel more rewarding than paying real money.
Based on my analysis, paying $10 for 25 gold bars is very worth it for most new players. It provides great value compared to the time investment required to manually earn your first 25 bars. The purchases are also safe and reliable directly through Rockstar Games.
However, for experienced players with lots of time to grind for gold, buying large quantities may be unnecessary. Maximizing legit gold farming techniques can often earn bars faster than you can spend them late game.
Earning Gold Bars
While real money purchases are the fastest way to get gold bars, there are also a variety of organic methods to earn them through regular gameplay:
Daily Challenges
Completing daily challenges earns 0.2 to 0.5 gold bars per challenge based on your current multiplier streak:
| Streak | Gold Per Challenge |
|---|---|
| 1-10 Days | 0.2 bars |
| 11-20 Days | 0.3 bars |
| 21-30 Days | 0.4 bars |
| 30+ Days | 0.5 bars |
With 7 available challenges per day, you can earn 1.4 to 3.5 bars daily from this source when optimized.
Stranger Missions
Completing stranger missions earns between 0.08 to 0.48 gold bars depending on length and difficulty. Drawing out missions above 10 minutes substantially increases the payout.
Free Roam Events
Participating in free roam events rewards 0.16 to 0.32 gold bars. Examples include King of the Castle, Railroad Baron, and Wild Animal Kills. Playing strategically to win can increase earnings.
Treasure Maps
Looting enemy hideouts, reaching Rank milestones, and other activities reward treasure maps. Following these to dig up chests gives 1 gold bar per map.
Bounty Hunter Role
Taking on bounty hunts for the Bounty Hunter role earns 0.08 to 0.48 gold per completion depending on difficulty and time. Legendary bounties are particularly lucrative.
Award Resets
Resetting challenge award progress bars grants 0.4 gold bars per reset. Many can be reset 10+ times.
Maximizing Gold Bar Earnings
Based on my experience optimizing gold farm strategies, here are some of my top tips for earning gold efficiently:
- Maintain a daily challenge streak for the 0.5 gold multiplier.
- Only open treasure maps when you have 5+ saved up.
- Let stranger mission timers run down before turning in.
- Combine bounties into chains for consecutive completions.
- Focus on easy repeatable awards like selling herbs.
Proper optimization of these key activities allows earning rates upwards of 5-10 gold bars per hour reliably. This minimizes the need to spend real money.
Gold Bar Uses
Here are the primary uses for gold bars in Red Dead Online and typical costs:
Roles – 15-25 Gold Bars
Purchasing special Roles like Bounty Hunter, Collector, and Trader costs 15-25 gold bars each. These unlock unique gameplay and missions.
Outlaw Passes – 40-60 Gold Bars
Time-limited Outlaw Passes cost 40-60 gold bars and include exclusive rewards and cosmetics.
Ability Cards – 150+ Gold Bars
Ability cards provide combat and traversal bonuses. Unlocking them costs 2-4 gold each, with upgrading to rank 3 costing 10-15 additional gold per card.
Weapons and Gear – 3-8 Gold Bars
Special weapons, upgrades, and gear like Metal Detectors often cost 3-8 gold bars each.
As you can see, gold bars allow purchasing of almost every type of major item and activity in the game. 25 bars is enough to get started with key purchases like role unlocks.
Is Gold Necessary?
An important question is whether gold is required or optional. In my opinion:
- Gold is essential for quickly unlocking Roles and Ability Cards.
- Gold is helpful for cosmetics, gear, and passes.
- Gold is optional for casual or niche playstyles.
Hardcore players will find acquiring larger gold quantities very beneficial. However, more casual players can still enjoy the core Red Dead Online experience without much gold if desired.
If your goal is to experience all major content and compete seriously in PvP modes, amassing a solid gold stockpile should be a top priority through either purchases or earnings.
Gold Bar Glitches
While I advise focusing on legitimate earning methods, some players may wish to exploit glitches that can generate infinite gold bars. Common working glitches include:
- Limpany Sheriff‘s Office Desk – Looting the lockbox repeatedly
- Braithwaite Manor Fireplace – Looting the chimney
- Jack Hall Gang Treasure – Repeatedly collecting the treasure
However, use glitches carefully as they can break progression or lead to punitive actions by Rockstar if detected. Play responsibly and legally.
Summary
In conclusion, 25 gold bars in Red Dead Online cost around $10 real money. Buying some is highly recommended to shortcut early progression and unlock additional gameplay.
Alternatively, optimized farming of daily challenges, stranger missions, and other activities can generate bars quickly for patient players. Prioritize maintaining streaks and maximizing role activities.
Gold is extremely valuable for purchasing roles, ability cards, and cosmetics. Amass bars smartly to get the most out of the incredible amount of content Red Dead Online offers!
