Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of strange secrets, Easter eggs, and cut characters. Some hint at horrifying events that took place in the game's world, others reference real-world occurrences from murders to memes and bugs from the first game. Even years after the release of the game, eagle-eyed YouTuber Strange Man is still uncovering some of the details hidden deep beneath Rockstar's epic western.
One of the most fascinating details to come to light regards a member of the Dutch Van der Linde gang who was cut from Red Dead Redemption 2 before the game's release. Here's all the evidence for the cut gang member, the role they would have played in the story, and the ways that they were still included as part of the game's story.
Finding Red Dead 2's Cut Gang Member
A cut Van der Linde gang member was first discovered by YouTuber pariah87, who discovered several game files hinting at a missing gang member who was supposed to be present during Red Dead 2's fifth chapter, Guarma. A photograph from a cut Guarma mission was found in the game's files, showing a woman who doesn't appear as part of the gang in the game's retail release.
There's audio in the game's files that also hints at a missing member of Dutch's gang. These audio files mention a woman's name, Eliza. While the available audio isn't much, the clips are connected to several cut missions involving Eliza. In the first mission, John Marston's wife Abigail would have called Arthur over to ask "have you seen Eliza?" When Arthur finds Eliza, he calls out "hey! Eliza [...] What you doing out here? [...] Trying to get yourself killed?" Eliza would have responded "what concern is it of yours?" to which Arthur would have replied "well, there are easier ways."
In a second mission, Susan Grimshaw would have similarly asked Arthur to go and find Eliza, though there isn't any other dialogue attached to that cut mission. In a fifth cut mission involving Eliza, dialogue has her character say "well, if it isn't John Marston." John replies "do I know you?" and Eliza responds "Eliza, I was -" before the line cuts out.
Youtuber Strange Man notes that this probably means Eliza was first introduced in Chapter 5, while John Marston was in jail. Other game files also confirm that Eliza would have been on Guarma with the other stranded gang members, which also explains her appearance in the cut photograph. This photograph was originally planned for a mission setting up the mission Hell Hath No Fury.
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser has also referenced Eliza, saying that "at one point, protagonist Arthur Morgan has two love interests, but we decided one of them didn't work." One of the love interests was Mary Linton, who appears in the final game. However, there is still a reference to Eliza that appears in Red Dead Redemption 2. During Archeology for Beginners, Arthur opens up about a child he once had.
"You know, I had a son once, years ago. Don't talk about it much [...] His mother, Eliza, was a waitress I met. When she got pregnant... she knew who I was, what my life was. I didn't want to promise nothing I couldn't keep but I said I'd do right by them. Every few months I'd stop by there for a few days. He was such a good kid. She was too I guess. Just a kid, nineteen [...] I got there one day and saw two crosses outside. I knew right away. Turned out some bastards had come through, robbed them, and shot them dead. And all for ten dollars. It hardened me, feeling that kind of pain. But I know now you don't get to live a bad life and have good things happen to you."
Eliza's Fate
This isn't the only time Eliza is directly referenced in-game. During the stranger mission American Dreams, players eventually come across Lucky's Cabin, south of Valentine. The cabin turns out to be the lair of a serial killer named Edmund Lowry, Jr. When Arthur enters the cabin it's full of evidence pointing to the killer's crimes, like missing posters and newspaper clippings. The game's files show that originally a wanted poster depicting Lowry would have been on his wall too.
Instead, the retail release of Red Dead 2 replaced that poster with a missing poster for a woman named Eliza Bloom. She is described as a "darling daughter and sister" who was last seen travelling between Valentine and the Dakota River, not far from the location of Lucky's Cabin.
In one sense this is a reference to Eliza's own status as a cut character - she is literally missing from the game. While it's likely that Red Dead Redemption 2's cut Van der Linde gang member would have been called Eliza Bloom, however, it seems unlikely that Arthur Morgan's love was the same woman killed by Edmund Lowry in-universe. Arthur's story implies that the bodies of both Eliza and his son were discovered after the robbery, which doesn't match Lowry's MO and would not require a missing poster to be put up. Not only that, but the wanted poster for Eliza Bloom does not mention her being a mother, despite mentioning her being both a daughter and sister.
Nonetheless, the poster in Lucky's Cabin is a particularly grim Easter egg. Eliza's role in the game could have been interesting even if it would have complicated the story. Seeing Arthur find a new love interest so late in his life could have complemented his character arc, though it would have made his eventual death all the more tragic. With fans still uncovering Red Dead secrets that remained hidden for an impressively long time, many will be wondering if more cut characters will surface in the future.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.