Rockstar Games' next project is bringing Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but fans are wondering what's next for Rockstar after that. It's safe to say many fans would prefer if Rockstar released a completely original game instead, but many others are hoping to see Rockstar remaster another one of its classic games for modern platforms, like 2010's Red Dead Redemption.
The latest Grand Theft Auto 6 leak, which is almost assuredly fake, claims that Rockstar is in fact working on a Red Dead Redemption remaster, and that the game is actually going to launch before Grand Theft Auto 6. That same leak said that the Grand Theft Auto 6 release date was 2023, and with Rockstar re-releasing GTA 5 and GTA Online this year, it stands to reason that the rumored Red Dead Redemption remaster would be on deck for 2022, in that case.
RELATED: Red Dead Redemption 2 Getting Vinyl EP With Gorgeous Cover
While that particular Grand Theft Auto 6 leak is almost definitely fake, it would make sense for Rockstar Games to move forward with a proper Red Dead Redemption remaster for a number of reasons. So while it may or may not be the next game from the studio, here is why Rockstar Games should definitely consider a Red Dead Redemption remaster at some point down the line.
At the time of this writing, Red Dead Redemption is only officially available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It's technically playable on newer hardware thanks to services like PlayStation Now and the Xbox backward compatibility program, but even so, only PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the open world western game exist. And the game is only playable on consoles, as Rockstar Games never bothered to release a PC version of Red Dead Redemption.
With no Red Dead Redemption PC version, it's safe to say that there are quite a few people who have never had the chance to properly experience the original game. The need for a Red Dead Redemption PC version is even greater when one considers the fact that Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on PC. Those who exclusively game on PC may have been able to play Red Dead Redemption 2, but haven't been able to play Red Dead Redemption.
PC gamers aren't the only ones who only played Red Dead Redemption 2 and have never played the original Red Dead Redemption. The original Red Dead Redemption was a pretty big sales success, selling over 15 million copies during its run. However, Red Dead Redemption 2 sales absolutely blow the Red Dead Redemption 1 sales out of the water, more than doubling the original game's lifetime sales.
What this means is that Red Dead Redemption 2 has been played by millions more people than the first game. With this success, Rockstar Games has significantly expanded the potential fanbase for a Red Dead Redemption remaster, meaning such a game could potentially barrel past the sales of the original, especially if a lot of work is done to bring it up to modern standards.
Out of the nearly 40 million people who purchased Red Dead Redemption 2, around half of them likely have not played the first Red Dead Redemption game. This means that they in turn do not know what happens next in the story. Because even though the game is called Red Dead Redemption 2, it is in actuality a prequel to the first Red Dead Redemption game, following the story of Arthur Morgan and Dutch's gang prior to the events of RDR.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has an award-winning storyline, and so it's safe to say many fans who discovered the series with the most recent entry may be curious to see what happens next. They could hunt down an old copy of the first Red Dead Redemption and play that to find out, but the shock of going from the technological marvel that is RDR2 to a much older game could keep them from properly enjoying the experience.
If Rockstar Games did move forward with a Red Dead Redemption remaster, it wouldn't need to rebuild the original game from the ground up. It could instead work on improving the graphics and animations to better match modern standards, though some may still prefer a full-blown remake. Imagine the scale of Red Dead Redemption 2, but with the original Red Dead Redemption's gameplay and storyline.
This may be a bit too ambitious of an undertaking, but even some slight quality of life improvements and a graphical facelift could be enough to draw in plenty of fans who have never had the chance to play the original Red Dead Redemption game. Comparing the sales of the original Red Dead Redemption with Red Dead Redemption 2 makes it clear that there are millions of people who fit into that category, and so if Rockstar doesn't move forward with a Red Dead Redemption remaster or re-release of some kind, it just seems like a massive missed opportunity.
Red Dead Redemption is available for PS3 and Xbox 360.