Rockstar has announced this morning that the title update to combat Hacker and Cheats in Red Dead Redemption's Multiplayer will be released next Tuesday, August 24th. The update will weed out those who have hacked saved game files (both multiplayer saves and single player saves) and ban them indefinitely from the game's multiplayer.

If you're in line to be swiftly removed from the online west, then you may want to quickly clean your slate. Rockstar is giving all wrongdoers one chance to redeem themselves before meeting their demise come Tuesday - simply follow these two steps carefully and you'll be spared:

• To be spared, any hacked saves that you have will need to be deleted – single player as well as multiplayer. You should be aware that everything is wiped when deleting saves. These are the only exceptions:
  
  • Players would keep any Achievements/Trophies they had already earned.
  • All preorder items tied to their accounts would be unlocked for them upon signing in and creating a new save while connected to Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network
  • Any cheats earned through Social Club would be unlocked for them upon signing in and creating a new save while connected to Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network
• After deleting your hacked game save(s), you will then need to go online with Red Dead Redemption (prior to August 24th) for it to register that you're now playing clean. For single-player saves, you will need to re-play the game while connected until you gain access to the safehouse at MacFarlane's ranch. For multiplayer saves, you will need to play one full game online or do one Gang Hideout.

The measures being put in place are firm, but fair. The fact hackers and cheaters are being given a chance to avoid banning is more than generous of Rockstar, considering the problems these players have caused. Want to keep playing Red Dead's Multiplayer? Follow the steps listed above and get yourself clean; if not, don't complain when you meet with fate next Tuesday, you've received an overly fair warning to say the least.

Rockstar has handled this entire problem extremely well, and other developers with popular multiplayer games should definitely follow suit.

For more information on your impending doom, read up on Rockstar's article covering the update and who it will affect.