These Red Dead Online Hackers Are Straight-Up Spooky

Imagine you've just ridden into town and tied your horse to the post outside the sheriff's station. You're gonna go down to the general store and pick up some supplies. Maybe you'll stop in at the saloon for a drink and a game of cards. You know, just general cowboy business.

Well, imagine getting punched suddenly in the back of the head. You turn around and come face to face with a two-headed skeleton. It can't be reasoned with or killed. Your only choice is to run and hide. 

As this video shows, this is actually something that has occurred within Red Dead Online. The Red Dead Redemption games are full of creepy moments, but this wasn't planned by the game's creators. Apparently, it's also not part of some ill-timed in-game event, either. No, it appears to be the work of some particularly nasty hackers. 

Hackers are generally the worst part of any game (and they've been a constant thorn in the side of Red Dead players), but this is some particularly inventive griefing. And it's not an isolated incident.

It would be pretty easy to write the video off as an elaborate prank that someone edited together to get other players talking. However, there are multiple posts on the subject that seem to lend some legitimacy to this bony abomination.

Another Redditor posted a video of an attempt to kill the skeleton creature, showing it tied up and tossed in a campfire.

One player was so confused after being attacked that they went onto Steam to ask if they had somehow reanimated the corpse with their metal detector. It is being theorized by folks in this thread that the hackers responsible are likely hanging out in a hot air balloon just above the affected players. Honestly, if you're going to be a cowboy necromancer, you might as well gaze upon your works with the theatricality of a James Bond villain.

There's no word yet on how these griefers continue to get away with this. Honestly, we should be more worried about what the next step in their plan is. A third head? More arms? Watch yourself out there on the prairie, y'all. Here there be monsters.