Complete all 90 RDR2 challenges: ranks, tips and rewards

Challenges are 90 story mode tasks: 9 categories of 10 ranks each. You will find the list in the pause menu under Progress → Challenges; the active challenge is marked with an icon in the top right corner of the screen. We number the ranks 1 to 10, the same as the game menu.

Ranks within a category unlock strictly in order: the next one appears once you complete the previous one. Anything you did before a rank was active does not count. Categories are independent of each other, so you can work on them in parallel.

There is no special mission that switches challenges on. A category starts with the first action of its rank 1: rob a passer-by and Bandit begins, pick yarrow and Herbalist begins, skin a deer and Master Hunter begins. You cannot miss a challenge — they stay available after the story.

The exceptions that need a story condition:

• Survivalist — according to Red Dead Wiki, the category opens when you catch a bluegill after the mission "A Fisher of Men" (Chapter 2); a fishing rod stolen earlier will not help.
• Bandit 6 — the horse fence at Clemens Cove appears after the mission "Horse Flesh for Dinner" (Chapter 3).
• Master Hunter 10 — the Giaguaro panther only appears after Master Hunter 9.
• Weapons Expert 2 — you get throwing knives in the mission "Paying a Social Call" (Chapter 2).
• Herbalist 7 — you need the Special Miracle Tonic recipe: from the Fence or on the plateau southeast of Vetter’s Echo.
• Sharpshooter 9 — per the wiki, you need Dead Eye that stays active after a shot (from the mission "Urban Pleasures", Chapter 4) or manual targeting (after "Pouring Forth Oil IV", Chapter 2).

Be careful with saves: per the wiki, loading a save resets the counter for "in one day" and "in a row" ranks — Bandit 3 and 4, Gambler 9, Survivalist 7. The game measures distance in feet and weight in pounds; the metric values in brackets are our rough conversion. Red Dead Online challenges are a separate system and are not part of these 90.

Rank rewards work the same way in all 9 categories (according to Red Dead Wiki, TheGamer and rdr2.org):

• Ranks 1, 3, 7 and 10 each unlock one piece of Reinforced Equipment: a Bandolier, Gun Belt, Holster or Off-Hand Holster. The order differs from category to category — see the table.
• Ranks 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 give core XP and cash: 25 XP and $5 for rank 2, 50 XP and $10 each for ranks 4–5, 100 XP and $15 each for ranks 6 and 8, and 150 XP and $20 for rank 9.

A rank only unlocks an item — you still have to buy it from the Trapper, under the Reinforced Equipment menu. Per the wiki, the bandolier holds more ammo for rifles, repeaters and shotguns, the gun belt does the same for revolvers and pistols, and the holster makes your weapons degrade more slowly.

Prices come from the Trapper table on Red Dead Wiki; in your game they may differ, so check the menu.

Core bonus. Buy all 4 items from one category and you can raise the matching core to level 9; with the sets from all three of that core’s categories, up to level 10:

• Health — Horseman, Sharpshooter, Weapons Expert;
• Stamina — Bandit, Gambler, Master Hunter;
• Dead Eye — Explorer, Herbalist, Survivalist.

Once you clear all 90 ranks, the Legend of the East outfit appears in your wardrobe automatically. According to Red Dead Wiki, its bonuses work even when you are not wearing it (some guides say you have to wear it): weapon condition +10%, money found +10%, melee and mounted damage taken −10%, Eagle Eye lasts 5 seconds longer, and cores drain 10% slower and gain 10% more XP.

The built-in cheat "Vanity. All is vanity" gives you the outfit right away, but with a cheat active the game will not save and achievements are blocked — details on the RDR2 cheats page.

XP from these ranks goes to Dead Eye, and the full equipment set boosts Stamina. The category drags your honor down hard — see how to win it back in our honor guide. Arthur can finish all of it.

XP from these ranks goes to Stamina, and the full equipment set boosts Dead Eye. Every map chain and treasure location is in our RDR2 treasure maps guide. How many finds each chain gives is based on Red Dead Wiki.

XP from these ranks goes to Dead Eye, and the full equipment set boosts Stamina. This category holds two of the hardest ranks in the game — 8 and 10.

XP from these ranks goes to Health, and the full equipment set boosts Dead Eye. Rank 9 is the only challenge Arthur cannot complete.

A trap for rank 9 (according to Red Dead Wiki): if you pick too many orchids of one species before the quest "Duchesses and other Animals" (Algernon Wasp, Chapter 4), some species stop spawning until you receive his request. The wiki also describes a bug where the Lady Slipper Orchid does not count towards Algernon’s 2nd request.

XP from these ranks goes to Stamina, and the full equipment set boosts Health. For breeds and where to catch them, see the RDR2 horses page.

XP from these ranks goes to Health, and the full equipment set boosts Stamina. For the panther and other beasts, see the RDR2 legendary animals page.

XP from these ranks goes to Dead Eye, and the full equipment set boosts Health. Which long-scoped rifle to take — see the RDR2 weapons page.

XP from these ranks goes to Stamina, and the full equipment set boosts Dead Eye. The category only opens after the mission "A Fisher of Men". Large and legendary fish are on the RDR2 legendary fish page.

Both the rank XP and the full equipment set bonus go to Health. For barrel upgrades and throwing weapons, see the RDR2 weapons page.

Arthur can complete 89 of the 90 challenges. The only one he cannot do is Herbalist 9: Blackcurrant, Wild Feverfew, Desert Sage and Red Sage grow only in New Austin, which Arthur cannot reach. So all 90 ranks, the Legend of the East outfit and 100% in RDR2 are finished in the epilogue, as John.

Progress does not reset: according to Red Dead Wiki, John picks up whatever Arthur did not finish. Whether the equipment Arthur bought and his core bonuses carry over to John is not confirmed by the sources.

What is easier to leave for the epilogue (per the wiki):

• Horseman 10 — every required breed roams New Austin;
• Sharpshooter 9 — the Del Lobo gang’s sombreros;
• Sharpshooter 7, Weapons Expert 8 and 9 — the Fort Mercer and Gaptooth Breach hideouts;
• Bandit 1 — lawless Armadillo.

Guides disagree on Horseman 9: PowerPyx says it cannot be done before the epilogue, while Red Dead Wiki says it can, although the Pinkertons hound Arthur in Tall Trees and the Great Plains. Bottom line: Arthur can do it, but it is easier as John.

According to the guides, seven ranks eat up the most time and patience. Detailed tips are in the tables above.

• Gambler 8 — 5 cards in blackjack and no more than 21, three times. Minimum bet in Rhodes; reseat after a bad deal.
• Gambler 10 — 3 poker wins in a row; do not leave the table.
• Master Hunter 2 — 3 perfect rabbit pelts: Varmint Rifle, headshots only.
• Horseman 9 — 17 minutes without water; cross the Upper Montana River by Owanjila Dam.
• Herbalist 9 — every plant species with no in-game checklist; keep your own list.
• Weapons Expert 10 — a grizzly with throwing knives alone and no damage taken; poison knives and distance.
• Weapons Expert 8 — you need a long-barreled revolver or pistol, not a shotgun.

• Weapons Expert 8. Red Dead Wiki and TheGamer give the text "long-barreled sidearm" — a revolver or pistol with a long barrel. Some guides, including GamesRadar+, rdr2.org and PowerPyx, write "long barrelled shotgun", but a shotgun does not count for this challenge.
• Gambler 4. The game words the task awkwardly ("Bust one Poker location out…"); what it means is knocking out one opponent at each of three tables.
• Gambler 8. PowerPyx talks about four cards totaling 18 to 21; Red Dead Wiki says 5 cards (2 dealt + 3 drawn). We go with 5.
• Master Hunter 8 and 9. Sources have both "Catch 3 small fish" and "Catch 3 fish", and for the opossum both "Kill" and "Catch". The point is the same.
• Survivalist 10. According to Red Dead Wiki, a legendary fish counts as a regular species but is not required separately; GamesRadar+ believes legendary fish are needed as well. We have not verified the wiki’s version.
• Herbalist 9. Red Dead Wiki and GamerGuides count 43 species including 13 orchids, while rdr2.org lists 30 herbs without orchids. The orchids are needed too.
• Herbalist 10. Guides name the 11 kinds of meat differently, so we do not list them — check the game menu.
• Horseman 2. Different wiki pages give the reward as 25 or 20 XP.

The challenge list is the same on PS4 and Xbox One (2018) and on PC (2019); the sources record no patch changes to the story challenges. One known difference concerns weapons: the LeMat revolver, added to the story later as a bonus for the PC version and the Ultimate Edition, does not count for Weapons Expert 8, according to Red Dead Wiki. There is no data on differences in the mobile version or the new re-releases.

Tick off the ranks you have completed — progress is saved only in your browser, no sign-up needed. Task texts are in English, as in the game menu, in the order the ranks unlock. These ticks are separate from the checklist on the RDR2 100% completion page.