Red Dead Redemption 2: How to Win a Fistfight

There are plenty of times in which you're going to get in a fistfight in Red Dead Redemption 2, and pulling you gun out and shooting the other person dead isn't always the best move. In this Red Dead Redemption 2 fighting guide, we'll be walking you through a complete list of the Red Dead Redemption 2 fighting controls in Rockstar's game.

On this page:

• Red Dead Redemption 2 Fighting Guide
• Can You Use Weapons for Melee Combat?

Red Dead Redemption 2 Fighting Guide

Whenever a fistfight kicks off in Red Dead Redemption 2, there are two buttons you need to remember: Square and Circle on the PS4, and X and B on the Xbox One. The first of both these buttons is the button to defend yourself against attacks, while the latter lets you strike out with a fist at your opponent.

The trick to winning a brawl in Red Dead Redemption 2 is to always be on the defensive. You want to start out blocking against all attacks, holding down Square/X, and Arthur will block all incoming attacks. The moment that he does block an attack, you want to immediately press Circle/B to retaliate with an attack of your own.

You can chain together two of three quick punches immediately after you’ve blocked an attack, but don’t get greedy. The longer you continue punching, the more likely your opponent is to block you, and start laying into Arthur with punches of their own. Fistfighting is a battle of attrition in Red Dead Redemption 2, and you’re not going to win a fight with a quick few punches.

We've put together a lot of Red Dead Redemption 2 guides since launch. You can find them all in our RDR2 Walkthrough Hub

Can You Use Weapons for Melee Combat?

While you might see tools that could easily be picked up and used as weapons in these fights, you can't actually use weapons in melee combat. Fist fights in Red Dead Redemption 2 are their own game mechanic, so it's fists only. Outside of these scenarios you can use the butt of a gun to melee a foe, but no guns are allowed during fist fights.

Now that we’re all wrapped up with this Red Dead Redemption 2 guide, you can check out our additional coverage of the game here at USgamer. We’ve got guides on how to refill Deadeye in Red Dead Redemption 2, or our guide on how to increase your health in Red Dead Redemption 2.

For more rootin' tootin' cowboy action, check out our official Red Dead Redemption 2 review. Elsewhere there's our look at what the game's lead actors think about being called 'voice actors'.