In Red Dead Redemption 2 you have three attributes (cores) that can be leveled up: Health, Stamina, Dead Eye. You do not have a character level in RDR2, only these 3 attributes have XP and are leveled separately. Maxing out all attributes is also required for 100% Game Completion.
RDR2 uses a learning-by-doing approach to leveling up your stats. You must do certain physical actions a lot, such as sprinting to increase stamina or rowing a boat to increase health. The hardest thing to level is Dead Eye (which allows you to slow down time while aiming). The best way to do it is from completing Challenges. There are 9 Challenges in the game consisting of 10 tasks each (so 90 total). By doing all challenges you will automatically max out all attributes.
See Red Dead Redemption 2 Challenges Guide.
You can view your current level under Pause Menu – Player – Your Character – Health, Stamina, Dead Eye. Click each attribute and check under “Progression” to see your level and XP to the next level up.
Required XP per Level:
- Level 1 = 0 XP
- Level 2 = 50 XP
- Level 3 = 100 XP
- Level 4 = 200 XP
- Level 5 = 350 XP
- Level 6 = 550 XP
- Level 7 = 800 XP
- Level 8 = 1100 XP
Doing all Challenges gives you 1425 XP per attribute, enough to reach Level 8. That’s where XP progression stops but you can actually bring them to level 10 via outfit sets. The way this works is that every challenge category unlocks a piece of a clothing set after challenge 1, 3, 7, 10. So completing all challenges in a category gets you a complete set consisting of 4 pieces. Equipping all 4 parts grants you +1 skill bar on the attribute (=level 9). Doing ALL 9 challenges (90 tasks) then unlocks another skill bar (=level 10).
So really, the most straightforward way is to just do challenges, this gets you to level 8 with XP, to level 9 with the outfit set, to level 10 for having done all challenges. We’ll go through all other ways to gain attribute XP below as well. More detail about what challenge counts towards what attribute is also in the overview below.
Leveling Up Health
The best way to level up health is by rowing a boat continuously and by doing challenges.
- Row a boat over 100 meters = 20 XP (you can simply keep rowing until health is maxed out)
- Catching Fish = 10-30 XP depending on fish size. Big fish give more.
- Kills with Bow & Throwing Weapons = 20 XP
- Fist Fight Wins = 10 XP
- Consuming a Ginseng Elixir = 25% XP to next level up will be awarded instantly.
- Complete Challenges in these categories: Herbalist, Master Hunter, Weapons Expert = 25-150 XP per challenge. A total of 1425 XP for all challenges in these 3 categories.
Leveling Up Stamina
The best way to level up stamina is from sprinting continuously and by doing challenges.
- Sprinting 100 Meters = 20 XP (you can simply keep sprinting on foot, not on horse)
- Swim 15 seconds = 20 XP
- Surviving a fight with less than 25 Health = 20 XP
- Complete Challenges in these categories: Explorer, Horseman, Survivalist = 25-150 XP per challenge. A total of 1425 XP for all challenges in these 3 categories.
Leveling Up Dead Eye
Leveling Dead Eye is the hardest. Your best bet is to combine it with the challenges. Completing all challenges gives you a total of 1425 XP. Skinning large animals is the second best option.
- Skin animal = 1-10 XP depending on animal size (bigger gives more XP)
- Headshot from 50 meters or more = 1-5 XP depending on distance
- Craft an item = 1 XP
- Cook a meal = 1 XP
- Complete Challenges in these categories: Bandit, Gambler, Sharpshooter = 25-150 XP per challenge. A total of 1425 XP for all challenges in these 3 categories.
Those are all the best ways to increase your attribute cores to the maximum in RDR2. For more guides check out our full Red Dead Redemption 2 Wiki & Strategy Guide.
You can level dead eye by doing chores in camp. 5 xp per chore. There are 6 chores chop wood 2 hay carries 2 provision bags and 1 water pale.
Forgot to mention the fact that Dead Eye upgrades throughout the Story Mode.
I’m on 68/90 Challenges and for some reason my Skills exp says 1100/1100?
It doesn’t advance when doing challenges.
Also Dead Eye EXP is 1104/1100?
Hey, mine is 1101/1100. I finished all 90 challenges already. They’re still all 8/8.
i’m having the same problem with health and stamina no matter how much i keep sprinting it wont level up it is stuck at 1110/1100 for stamina and 1131/1100 for health .
i figured it out , you need to go to a trapper and buy every set of reinforced equipment , it will max every stat .
When leveling up my dead eye, it will not go past level 6. Every time I get to level 7, the stats reset to the beginning of level 6. Any suggestions?
I finished all the challenges, but everything is still 8/8. What do I need to do? I need this for 100%
I hope my game isn’t glitched because I worked so hard on these challenges. Why are they still not 10/10?
Nevermind, I had to buy all the reinforced equipment to get max stats. I didn’t know I actually had to buy all of them.
Hey, Quinnerd. You said you had a problem with your XP?
If you found a solution, could you help me?
All my cores are at Max lvl (lvl 8) but the XP on my Dead Eye is at 1102/1100, even though it’s lvl 8, and no matter what i do this won’t increase. Do you know what to do?
I’m trying to get the 100% completion.
Thanks.
My question is about the 100% completion list on the one where you have to get max stamina dead eye and health will it go grey with a tick next to it like all the rest when they are completed or does it stay white? Also can this be done with either character or just with Arthur as I’m clearing the game up with John and it’s still not done even though its max and I must of done it with Arthur and it’s still not ticked off because if it can only be done with Arthur I’m going to have to do a whole new game to get 100 percent completion trophy if anyone could help it would be great
My stamina got to lvl 9 and I dont remeber how or what I did ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So to get 100% Checklist I need to have all at lv 10 or at lv8?
I have now all at 8 and is still like “not done yet” in progress.
same as u plz i need help i wanna get 100%compltion
Help,
I have done everything. I have completed every challenge and bought all the reinforced equipment, but my second bonus dead eye did not show up. The game is stuck at 99.9% and if this is glitched I am going to kill myself…
I have the exact same problem, I opened a ticket to Rockstar, maybe you should also do it. Or did you find a solution. I have no desire to do all again.
Any updates on this situation? I am on the way to completing challenges and would like to know if the problem has a solution? In the Internet I did not find similar issues.
An easy way to level up dead eye is buying premium cigs from a general store and then discarding them and then repeating. I went from level 6 to level 8 dead eye in like 20 minutes using this method.
This is a great article, thanks for the help. Answered all questions i had.
Guys I’ve figured it out. Once you’ve finished all challenges you need to go to a trapper and buy all the reinforced equipment which will increase your attributes by 2.
I’ve got a huge problem. My Stamina and Dead Eye are at level 9. Health is level 8. This is with Arthur. But you can’t finish all of the challenges with Arthur. So you got to max out the attributes with John. Herbalist has to be with John because there are certain herbs in New Austin. Same with Horseman 10. There are a couple of breeds of horse that are in New Austin. I’ve done Gambler, Survivalist, Master Hunter, Explorer and am at 8 on Horseman and 7 on Sharpshooter. The last playthrough I did I had John’s deadeye at a 10 and his stamina at 9 and health at 8. There’s got to be a way to max out John. Help!
Well never mind. Since I finish the game with John (I knew that), I’ll work on his stats. Since I maxed out deadeye with him and got his stamina up to 9, I think I’ll be able to get his health to 10. He can’t swim, but he can do other stuff. Plus doing the 2 challenges I haven’t started and finishing the ones I have that are not completed should help.
I’m in the same boat, played everything to the max with Arthur, then the 3 cores dropped when I switched to the Epilogue with John. Ugh….I hope this works.