Rockstar has announced that when Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26th, players will also get the chance to take their cowboy adventures online with Red Dead Online. While the service is not expected to begin until November, given how well they have supported GTA Online, waiting a few extra weeks, should not be a hardship.

Here is the full statement from Rockstar

Today we’re excited to announce Red Dead Online, a new online connected experience set against the backdrop of Red Dead Redemption 2's enormous open world.
Red Dead Online is an evolution of the classic multiplayer experience in the original Red Dead Redemption, blending narrative with competitive and cooperative gameplay in fun new ways. Using the gameplay of the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 as a foundation, Red Dead Online will be ready to be explored alone or with friends, and will also feature constant updates and adjustments to grow and evolve this experience for all players.
Red Dead Online is planned for launch in November 2018, initially as a public beta, with more news to come soon. As with most online experiences of this size and scale, there will inevitably be some turbulence at launch.  We look forward to working with our amazing and dedicated community to share ideas, help us fix teething problems and work with us to develop Red Dead Online into something really fun and innovative.

Access to Red Dead Online is free to anyone with a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 on either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

All the details, including a link to some FAQ's can be found here.