Red Dead 2 Challenge Guide: Here's Every Challenge And How To Trigger Them

As you play Red Dead Redemption 2, you'll start to see notifications informing you that you've completed a challenge. Now this all sounds fine and dandy, but you're likely asking yourself: "What does completing challenges do? Heck, why should I even bother completing them?" That's a fair question, and we're here to answer it.

Challenges are gameplay feats you complete to earn XP and unlock upgraded equipment for purchase at your local trapper, such as new Gun Belts, Bandoliers, Holsters, and Off-Hand Holsters. Each piece posses its own perks that increase either ammo capacity or decrease weapon degradation rate. Equipping them even improves your general statistics, but more on that in a second.

There are nine challenge categories in total, each with ten feats to complete. As you'd expect, the feats vary per category. For example, the Bandit challenges has you working to hold up townsfolk, steal wagons, and amass a sizable bounty, while the Explorer challenges focus on you finding treasure. It's important to note that you must complete challenges in sequential order, so you can't just prioritize completing the seventh challenge over the first few only because it's easier.

Completing challenges is a worthwhile endeavor, as the equipment you unlock offer bonus bars around your Health, Stamina, and Dead Eye Cores when you complete the set. You are rewarded an extra bar when you complete one of the three sets associated with that statistic. And you unlock an additional bar to that statistic once you've acquired all three sets associated with it. The table below contains details on which equipment set is associated with which attribute.

AttributeEquipment SetHealthHorsemanSharpshooterWeapons ExpertStaminaBanditGamblerMaster HunterDead EyeExplorerHerbalistSurvivalist

There's even an extra bonus in store for you upon completing all 90 challenges. You unlock a special outfit called "Legend of the East," which provides hefty bonuses to Arthur's statistics. If that's something you're aspiring towards, you're in luck as we've compiled every single challenge in the game for your reference, so get crackin'!

BanditChallengeDescriptionRewardBandit 1Hold up five townsfolkBandit BandolierBandit 2Rob two stage coaches or complete two stage coach robbery missions$5 + 25 Dead Eye XPBandit 3Rob a cash register in any four shops in one dayBandit HolsterBandit 4Rob three stage coaches in a single day$10 + 50 Dead Eye XPBandit 5Amass a $250 bounty in one State$10 + 50 Dead Eye XPBandit 6Steal five horses and sell them to the horse Fence at Clemens Cove$15 + 100 Dead Eye XPBandit 7Rob $50 worth of cash and valuables from townsfolk and travelersBandit Off-Hand HolsterBandit 8Steal seven wagons and sell them to the Fence at Emerald Ranch$15 + 100 Dead Eye XPBandit 9Hogtie someone and leave them on railroad tracks three times$20 + 150 Dead Eye XPBandit 10Complete five train robberies without dying or getting caughtBandit Gun BeltExplorerChallengeDescriptionRewardExplorer 1Find a treasure mapExplorer HolsterExplorer 2Find a treasure$5 + 25 Stamina XPExplorer 3Find a treasureExplorer BandolierExplorer 4Find a treasure$10 + 50 Stamina XPExplorer 5Find a treasure$10 + 50 Stamina XPExplorer 6Find a treasure$15 + 100 Stamina XPExplorer 7Find a treasureExplorer Gun BeltExplorer 8Find a treasure$15 + 100 Stamina XPExplorer 9Find a treasure$20 + 150 Stamina XPExplorer 10Find a treasureExplorer Off-Hand HolsterGamblerChallengeDescriptionRewardGambler 1Win five hands of pokerGambler HolsterGambler 2In blackjack, double down and win the hand five times$5 + 25 Dead Eye XPGambler 3Win three games of five finger filetGambler BandolierGambler 4Bust a poker opponent out in Flatneck Station, Saint Denis, and Valentine$10 + 50 Dead Eye XPGambler 5Win three rounds of dominoes without drawing any tiles against two or fewer opponents$10 + 50 Dead Eye XPGambler 6Beat a blackjack dealer in Rhodes and Van Horn$15 + 100 Dead Eye XPGambler 7Beat the five finger filet player in Strawberry, Valentine, and Van HornGambler Gun BeltsGambler 8Win three hands of blackjack with three hits or more$15 + 100 Dead Eye XPGambler 9Win three consecutive games of dominoes$20 + 150 Dead Eye XPGambler 10Win three consecutive hands of pokerGambler Off-Hand HolsterHerbalistChallengeDescriptionRewardHerbalist 1Pick six yarrowHerbalist Off-Hand HolsterHerbalist 2Pick and eat four species of berry$5 + 25 health XPHerbalist 3Craft seven items using sage as an ingredientHerbalist Gun BeltHerbalist 4Pick five mushrooms and feed them to your horse$10 + 50 Health XPHerbalist 5Craft nine items using the Indian tobacco as an ingredient$10 + 50 Health XPHerbalist 6Pick 15 different species of herb$15 + 100 Health XPHerbalist 7Craft and use five special miracle TonicsHerbalist HolsterHerbalist 8Use oleander to craft six poison weapons$15 + 100 Health XPHerbalist 9Pick one of each species of herb$20 + 150 Health XPHerbalist 10Season and cook all 11 types of meatHerbalist BandolierHorsemanChallengeDescriptionRewardHorseman 1Kill five rabbits from horsebackHorseman Gun BeltHorseman 2Jump over three obstacles in 15 seconds$5 + 25 Stamina XPHorseman 3Ride from Valentine to Rhodes in less than five minutesHorseman HolsterHorseman 4While mounted, drag a victim for 3,300 feet using your lasso$10 + 50 Stamina XPHorseman 5Trample five animals with your horse$10 + 50 Stamina XPHorseman 6Ride from Strawberry to Saint Denis in less than nine minutes without touching water$15 + 100 Stamina XPHorseman 7Kill seven enemies from horseback without dismountingHorseman BandolierHorseman 8Kill nine predators from horseback$15 + 100 Stamina XPHorseman 9Ride from Van Horn to Blackwater in less than 17 minutes without touching water$20 + 150 Stamina XPHorseman 10Break every single wild horse breedHorseman Off-Hand HolsterMaster HunterChallengeDescriptionRewardMaster Hunter 1Skin three deerMaster Hunter Off-Hand HolsterMaster Hunter 2Get three perfect-quality rabbit pelts$5 + 25 Health XPMaster Hunter 3Track 10 different animal species using your binocularsMaster Hunter BandolierMaster Hunter 4Get a clean kill after calling to an animal five times$10 + 50 Health XPMaster Hunter 5Skin three black bears or grizzly bears$10 + 50 Health XPMaster Hunter 6Kill five cougars with your bow and skin them$15 + 100 Health XPMaster Hunter 7Use a bait to lure and kill both an herbivore and predatorMaster Hunter Gun BeltMaster Hunter 8Catch three fish without using a fishing rod (aka use dynamite)$15 + 100 Health XPMaster Hunter 9Catch an opossum playing possum$20 + 150 Health XPMaster Hunter 10Track and kill a Legendary PantherMaster Hunter HolsterSharpshooterChallengeDescriptionRewardSharpshooter 1Kill three flying birdsSharpshooter BandolierSharpshooter 2Kill two different animal species in the same Dead Eye use$5 + 25 Dead Eye XPSharpshooter 3Kill five flying birds while moving on a trainSharpshooter HolsterSharpshooter 4Kill an enemy at least 80 feet away with a throwing tomahawk$10 + 50 Dead Eye XPSharpshooter 5Kill six animals without switching or reloading your weapon$10 + 50 Dead Eye XPSharpshooter 6Kill someone at least 660 feet away with a long scoped rifle$15 + 100 Dead Eye XPSharpshooter 7Land seven headshots in a rowSharpshooter Off-Hand HolsterSharpshooter 8Disarm three enemies without reloading or switching your weapon$15 + 100 Dead Eye XPSharpshooter 9Shoot three people's hats off in the same Dead Eye use$20 + 150 Dead Eye XPSharpshooter 10Kill three flying birds with three consecutive long scoped rifle shotsSharpshooter Gun BeltSurvivalistChallengeDescriptionRewardSurvivalist 1Catch a bluegillSurvivalist Gun BeltSurvivalist 2Hand five animals to the camp or trapper$5 + 25 StaminaSurvivalist 3Kill five animals using a Varmint rifleSurvivalist Off-Hand HolsterSurvivalist 4Craft dynamite, fire, improved, poison, and small game arrows$10 + 50 StaminaSurvivalist 5Catch a fish in the Bayou from a riverboat and while standing on railroad tracks$10 + 50 StaminaSurvivalist 6Kill a scavenging animal while it is feeding on a corpse five times$15 + 100 StaminaSurvivalist 7Kill eight small game animals using small game arrowsSurvivalist BandolierSurvivalist 8Craft a homing tomahawk, improved tomahawk, volatile dynamite, and volatile fire bottle$15 + 100 StaminaSurvivalist 9Catch a fish that weighs at least 19 pounds$20 + 150 StaminaSurvivalist 10Catch one of each type of fish in the worldSurvivalist Holster

Weapons ExpertChallengeDescriptionRewardWeapons Expert 1Kill three enemies with a knifeWeapons Expert HolsterWeapons Expert 2Kill three enemies in 10 seconds with throwing knives$5 + 25 Health XPWeapons Expert 3Kill three birds of prey with a tomahawkWeapons Expert Gun BeltWeapons Expert 4Kill 10 enemies with a shotgun loaded with crafted ammo$10 + 50 Health XPWeapons Expert 5Kill five mounted enemies with one throwing knife per kill$10 + 50 Health XPWeapons Expert 6Kill a group of four enemies with a single stick of dynamite$15 + 100 Health XPWeapons Expert 7Kill four consecutive enemies by throwing and retrieving the same tomahawkWeapons Expert Off-Hand HolsterWeapons Expert 8Kill 15 enemies with a long-barreled sidearm$15 + 100 Health XPWeapons Expert 9Kill nine unaware enemies with a bow$20 + 150 Health XPWeapons Expert 10Kill a grizzly bear with throwing knives without taking damageWeapons Expert Bandolier
Info from Gamespot.com