While Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption is usually fairly grounded in reality of the times it's based in, spooky happenings are nothing new for players of the old west open world titles. While some of them are intentional, one glitch a player discovered in the dead of night of Red Dead Redemption 2's swamps is downright frightening.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is no stranger to ghosts, as players can actually discover the existence of a tormented spirit in the game. However, this particular haunting appears to have been caused by a glitch, but it nonetheless managed to terrify the player who experienced it.
RELATED: Red Dead Redemption 2 Player Notices Incredible Detail About Shotguns
Player C4S0x shared footage of them attempting to make their way through the swamps of RDR2 in the pitch black of night. They fire off their pistol a few times as they approach a bridge, providing a slight amount of illumination in an otherwise dark environment. As they rode towards the bridge, however, the glitch/ghost came into view.
In the dark of the covered bridge, the silhouette of another rider can be seen sitting atop a horse. As Arthur approaches, the rider turns towards him and rides off, narrowly passing him. As the player turned the camera to look where they were going, the horse and rider suddenly disappear entirely. Amusingly, Arthur reassures his horse at this exact moment to relax, as though the horse is more spooked by the encounter than its rider.
While this was likely a glitch, the identity of the mystery horse and rider is unknown, and it left the player feeling so startled that they wondered if it was really a glitch or not. Other recent glitches have seen abandoned horses crashing into players in Red Dead Online, but as Rockstar Games is no stranger to introducing haunting apparitions like the Red Dead Redemption 2 ghost train to its games, it's reasonable for a player to wonder if the event was intentional or not.
With or without the existence of ghost riders, the swamp is a dangerous place for Arthur to be in, and players should keep their guard up while traversing the area. The ghost of Agnes Dowd, night folk, and alligators all roam the swamps, potentially posing major hazards (and frights) to Arthur. While animals are always a threat in Red Dead Redemption 2, players who aren't interested in being startled should avoid the swamps at night, as the majority of these threats are absent during daytime. While it's possible that the 'ghost' rider glitch could still occur, with daylight on the player's side, it'll likely become obvious that it's a simple glitch instead of something to be spooked by.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is now available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
MORE: Red Dead Redemption 2: What Happens to John Marston After the Game is Over?