A NeoGAF user by the name of Mideon posts what is said to be the game map for the rumored Red Dead Redemption 2, which reveals surprising details about the game.

Fans have been waiting for news on Red Dead Redemption 2 for years, but Rockstar Games has remained mostly mum on the matter. While Rockstar's silence has still not been broken, a NeoGAF user by the name of Mideon has posted what could potentially be the map for Red Dead Redemption 2, offering clues as to what the long-awaited sequel will entail.

The map, which has since been removed from NeoGAF, has reportedly been verified to be the "real deal" by a source at Rockstar Games. Even so, it should be taken with a grain of salt until Rockstar makes an official confirmation. However, if we assume that the map is indeed a legitimate representation of where Red Dead Redemption 2 will take place, we can glean some interesting information from it.

For one, it appears as though Red Dead Redemption 2 will share at least one location with the previous game in the series, in the form of the Great Plains. Otherwise, it appears as though the sequel will encompass entirely new land, and feature much more water. This could indicate that the playable character in Red Dead Redemption 2 will be able to swim, which wasn't possible in the original Red Dead Redemption.

The map also seems to indicate that Red Dead Redemption 2 could actually be a prequel. This speculation stems from the map not featuring any railroads, whereas the first Red Dead Redemption had a heavy focus on them. Having said that, there is a railroad key in the map's legend, so players may witness the construction of the railroads during the course of the game, or, if rumors of Red Dead Redemption 2 having multiple playable characters are true, perhaps players will be able to bounce between characters that exist in different periods of time – one where the railroads have been built, and one where they are still under construction.

Something else of note from the leaked map is an area located in the bottom right called New Bordeaux. Take-Two's upcoming Mafia 3 is set in New Bordeaux – an alternative take on New Orleans, Louisiana. This could indicate that Take-Two plans on bridging the Red Dead Redemption and Mafia 3 universes.

Possible crossovers aside, with Red Dead Redemption selling 14 million copies, it's clear that the RDR IP is too strong to lay dormant for too long, and even though Rockstar Games has reportedly started development of Grand Theft Auto 6, it stands to reason that Red Dead Redemption 2 could drop in the meantime. With E3 2016 a couple of months away, we'll probably learn more about Red Dead Redemption 2, and be able to verify the accuracy of this leaked map, soon enough.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is rumored for release in 2017 on unspecified platforms.

Source: NeoGAF, TechRadar (via GameSpot)