Red Dead Redemption 2 - How to Lose Bounty, Lower Wanted Level

Rockstar’s eagerly-anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now, but you better keep your nose clean because the life of an outlaw can be a dangerous one. Commit too many crimes or misdemeanors and you’ll get a bounty on your head. But how do you lose an RDR2 bounty? How do bounties work, and what can you expect? We’ve got the answers.

How Do You Lose a Red Dead Redemption 2 Bounty?

Much like in the first game, the Red Dead Redemption 2 equivalent of a Grand Theft Auto “Wanted” level is having a bounty put on your head. Pretty much anything can get your bounty to rise, from minor accidents like nudging a pedestrian with your horse right up to actual criminal acts, like armed robbery or murder. You’ll get different levels of bounty depending on the seriousness of the crime, and to a certain degree where you committed it. Valentine, for example, might not be too bothered about you getting into a fistfight.

No matter what happens though, if you want to get rid of your bounty you’re going to have to pay up. Much like in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the main way to lose your bounty is to pay for it to be removed. In Red Dead’s case, you’ll need to go to the nearest train station and talk to the station clerk, where you’ll get the option to pay off your bounties. Unfortunately, unlike Assassin’s Creed you can’t hunt down and kill the one who put the bounty on your head.

What Happens If You Have a Bounty on Your Head?

You’ll get selectively punished in certain areas, depending on your crime and bounty level. You might be asked to leave town for a while, and if it gets too high you might be banned from towns. If a sheriff or lawman spots you in a town you’ll be asked to surrender, and you’ll have to pay a fine. However, if you’ve shot a lawman you won’t get the option, they’ll just open fire.

You’ll also get hounded by bounty hunters if your bounty gets too high. The good news is that bounties are territory-specific, so if you have a high bounty in New Hannover it won’t matter to the folks in West Elizabeth. Either way though, if you want to explore Red Dead Redemption 2 freely, try and keep your bounty level low.