Hostility

Hostility is a gameplay element added in the May 14, 2019 update for ''Red Dead Online. ''It was added to allow players to more easily fight back against griefers.

Gameplay
Hostility has benefits and penalties, depending on what level it is at. There are 3 levels: Low, Medium, and High. It is increased by hostile actions. For example, killing a player-owned horse except in the context of self-defense will increase a Low hostility level to Medium hostility level, and killing a player who didn't shoot first and having that player press charges increases hostility to high.

Pressing Charges
If a player is killed by another player (except for self defense) and they don't fight back they have the option to press charges. This increases hostility and increases the offender's bounty by 50 cents.

Defensive Mode
Defensive Mode is a mode differing greatly from Offensive Mode, the mode in which everyone has been playing until the May 14 update. In Defensive players cannot lock onto each other, take critical hits from othe players, use melee or the lasso and be meleed/lassoed, or use Dead-Eye to mark players. If a player commits an action that increases their hostility, it takes them out of Defensive temporarily; players with High hostility cannot use Defensive or press charges even if they were attacked first. Attacking High hostility players bears no consequences other than being taken out of Defensive Mode. No hostilitiy increase is given to the attacking player if they start a fight with a High hostility player, and no consequences are given if the High hostility player defends themself from the attack. Players are removed from Defensive Mode when joining Showdown matches, story missions or posses that are not able to go Defensive. Players in Defensive Mode take less damage and deal less damage from and to other players, unless they are attacked; if they are attacked first by another player, in which case they deal full damage while still taking less.

Penalties

 * 1) Killing/assaulting player owned horse: Low to Medium
 * 2) Killing/assaulting player: Low to Medium
 * 3) Killing player, player presses charges: Low to High