Red Dead Redemption 2 cheats

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

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All Red Dead Redemption 2 cheat codes

Red Dead Redemption 2 cheats can be used to make things easier for yourself, or turn the Wild West that little bit wilder. Some of the helpful RDR2 codes will give you a pile of free cash so Arthur Morgan can relax and live a comfortable life, or you can fill your arsenal with all of the weapons and equipment you need to hold an army at bay. Other options mean you can maximize your honor or become a total dastard, elevate your sharpshooting skills to pick off targets with ease, or get a completely fresh start by resetting your wanted level and bounties.

It's worth bearing in mind that the RDR2 cheats available are generally grounded in reality, so while there a plenty of useful options at your disposal you're still very much tied to the Western world. That makes them a fairly stark difference to the GTA 5 cheats, so don't expect huge explosions or the ability to go flying around the map. However, that's not to say you won't drastically alter the game with the Red Dead Redemption 2 cheat codes found here, as they'll let you change attributes, get money, weapons, outfits, and gear, while generally opening up the Wild West instantly to your needs.

Where to find Red Dead Redemption 2 cheat codes

Screenshot showing where to find Red Dead Redemption 2 Cheat code

It's easy to find a Red Dead Redemption 2 cheat code without even realising, as many are found as random messages in the world – etched into a cabinet in a shack for example, or engraved into ice. Found some weird graffiti somewhere? It's probably a code.

However, there is one guaranteed way of finding cheat codes, and that's by buying newspapers. Head to Valentine, Saint Denis, and Blackwater and pick up the New Hanover Gazette, Saint Denis Times, or Blackwater Ledger respectively from a newspaper seller in town. You can only access some cheats/newspapers after clearing certain story missions, and a number of cheats are actually locked off depending on your progress, so to get the best experience you probably want to finish the campaign first. That's the best advice generally as well, as you don't want to ruin your main save by messing about with cheats.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Cheat hidden in a newspaper

Newspapers don’t cost much, so pick up every copy you can, when you can. To find the codes, open up your satchel and grab a paper, flip it over and zoom to the bottom of the paper. If there's a little tagline under one of the stories then this phrase is what you have to use to unlock the cheat code.

How to enter Red Dead Redemption 2 cheat codes

How to enter Red Dead Redemption 2 Cheats

To activate cheat codes in Red Dead Redemption 2, just hit pause to access the main menu then navigate to the Settings tab. If you look in the bottom right corner you’ll see ‘Cheats’, so tap Triangle/Y to navigate to that screen.

Tapping Triangle/Y once more will open up a text box for you to type in any phrases you’ve discovered. Once you’ve done that, you can toggle the cheat codes to either activate or deactivate them in your game.

Be warned – activating cheats will disable both autosaving and Trophies or Achievements, so tread with caution! We recommend entering all of the codes you want to use, then manually saving your game to lock them in before experimenting with them.

All Red Dead Redemption 2 cheat codes

Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshot showing a cheat which summons a horse and prison carriage

When entering cheats, capitalisation isn't important – but punctuation is required as written for the codes to work. As I mentioned, most can be entered at any point but a few require that you purchase the newspaper containing them first, so we've marked those in italics along with the point in the story at which the relevant paper becomes available. There are 37 cheat codes in Red Dead Redemption 2, as follows:

Abundance is the dullest desire - Gives Arthur infinite ammunition. Purchase newspaper from Chapter 1 onwards.
A simple life, a beautiful death - Gives Arthur a set of Basic Weapons.
Greed is American virtue - Gives Arthur a set of Heavy Weapons. Purchase newspaper after completing "Advertising, the New American Art" in Chapter 3.
Death is silence - Gives Arthur a set of Stealth Weapons.
History is written by fools - Gives Arthur the Gunslinger side mission weapons.
You long for sight and see nothing - Removes Fog of War from the map. Purchase newspaper after completing "Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern" in Chapter 3.
Greed is now a virtue - Gives Arthur $500.
Vanity. All is vanity - Instantly unlocks all in-game outfits.
Eat of knowledge - Teaches Arthur every crafting recipe.
Share - Unlocks every camp upgrade.
Virtue unearned is not virtue - Gives Arthur maximum Honor. Purchase newspaper after completing "Urban Pleasures" in Chapter 4.
You revel in your disgrace, I see - Gives Arthur minimum Honor.

red dead redemption 2 screenshot showing Arthur being engaged in conversation with another character — (Image credit: Rockstar)

Balance. All is balance - Gives Arthur neutral Honor.
Be greedy only for foresight - Gives Arthur Infinite Dead-Eye.
The lucky be strong evermore - Gives Arthur Infinite Stamina. Purchase newspaper after completing Chapter 5.
Guide me better - Dead Eye Level 1.
Make me better - Dead Eye Level 2.
I shall be better - Dead Eye Level 3.
I still seek more - Dead Eye Level 4.
I seek and I find - Dead Eye Level 5.
Seek all the bounty of this place - Permanently increases Arthur’s Health, Stamina and Dead-Eye meters.
You flourish before you die - Fills Arthur’s Health, Stamina and Dead-Eye meters.
You seek more than the world offers - Fills meters and fortifies Arthur’s cores. Purchase newspaper after completing "The King's Son" in Chapter 6.
My kingdom is a horse - Increases Arthur’s Horse Bonding level.
Better than my dog - Let’s Arthur call his horse from any range.

Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshot showing the silhouette of a man with a cowboy hat on horseback, a glowing sun seen behind him — (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

A fool on command - Plies Arthur with alcohol, induces drunkenness.
Run! Run! Run! - Spawns a race horse.
You are a beast built for war - Spawns a War Horse. Purchase newspaper after completing the Epilogue.
You want more than you have - Spawns a Superior Horse (Arabian).
You want something new - Spawns a random horse.
The best of the old ways - Spawns a stagecoach.
Keep your dreams simple - Spawns a wagon.
Keep your dreams light - Spawns a horse-drawn buggy.
Would you be happier as a clown? - Spawns a Circus Wagon. Purchase newspaper after completing the Epilogue.
You want punishment - Gives Arthur a Wanted Level.
You want freedom - Drops Arthur’s Wanted Level.
You want everyone to go away - Removes Arthur’s notoriety/bounties.

Congratulations, you've unlocked every Red Dead Redemption 2 cheat code!