Red Dead Redemption 2: 16 Essential Gameplay Secrets You Need To Know

10. The Difference Between "Witness" And "Wanted" (How To Avoid Bounties)

red dead redemption 2
Rockstar

Thanks to user Redditor omgwhy97 for pinning down these particulars, as unlike the basic "wanted or not" setup of the first game, RDR2 has two states of awareness that dictate whether you get a bounty:

"Witness" and "Wanted".

Both will pop up on the corner of the screen when you've been up to no good (or accidentally ran someone over with your horse), and whenever you see a white eye icon or white text, it means the situation can be controlled. Run up to said witness and talk to them (or discreetly kill them). Doing this can trigger more white icon witnesses, but if you silence them all before law enforcement is notified, no word will spread of your misdeeds.

Red text is when any member of the law has been notified, or the area is being actively investigated. You'll often see large red pulses on the mini-map, dictating the area is about to be flooded with feds, but leave this vicinity and again, you'll forgo a monetary bounty.

The reason many players are incurring constant bounties comes from either not stopping white icon witnesses, or committing crimes where law officers are immediately nearby.

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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.