After the failed port of Red Dead Redemption, a new leak reveals plans from Rockstar Games. But it is a cruel disappointment that awaits fans of the license.
It’s not a good day for Microsoft. Earlier, confidential documents related to the lawsuit with the FTC for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard were revealed. Papers that shed light on major Bethesda projects, and on the release next year of a new Xbox Series X. But like previous times, other companies were exposed like Rockstar Games. Presumably, the studio had plans for Red Dead Redemption 2.
A huge leak on Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar Games might have preferred that the information not leak, but it’s too late. If we are to believe a Microsoft document in which Sarah Bond, vice-president of Xbox, and Phil Spencer, boss of the gaming branch, discuss the Xbox Game Pass releases, a PS5 and Xbox Series X|S version of Red Dead Redemption 2 should have seen the light of day.
Why use the past tense to talk about it? Because according to indications, this native edition of the game should have been released at the end of 2022. And as you also know, at present, no one has seen the color of it. The two responsible seem sure of themselves given that they had even made a projection on the possible costs of integrating Red Dead Redemption 2 Remastered into Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft potentially would have had to pay around $5 million per month.
But obviously, this project was abandoned in favor of a certain GTA 6. In the summer of 2022, Tez2, well known to the Rockstar Games community, claimed that a remaster of Red Dead Redemption 2 was in the works, but that it ended up in the trash so that the teams would not disperse while Grand Theft Auto VI was still in development. Well that said, he also said the same thing for Red Dead Redemption 1, and we did have… a port that caused a scandal due to its sale price and the almost total absence of improvements.
For the moment, Rockstar Games has not reacted. But it is very unlikely that the company will confirm the existence of RDR 2 PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Even more so if the initial plan ultimately fell through. And it will certainly be a disappointment for those who would like to (re)do it on a current console. However, many would not have refused a higher framerate, support for the PS5 DualSense controller, refined graphics, etc.