With Red Dead Redemption 2 containing what is known to be Rockstar Games' largest map to date, it's safe to presume there are still plenty of players that have yet to discover all the open world western has to offer. While the allure of exploring RDR2's gigantic map, experiencing its compelling story, and engaging with its intuitive mechanics have been relatively solid for most, it's also fair to say there are several widely known bugs that have cropped up since launch, too. Speaking of which, one player has now reported a glitch that apparently allowed them to visit an area from the first game.
As seen in the image gallery further below from the Redditor and Red Dead Redemption 2 fan, Coyotemation, the player attests that after glitching into the area, they were able to discover that the entirety of the Mexico terrain seen in RDR2 is a 1:1 model of the El Presidio ported over from the 2010 release. Per the comparisons of the last-gen title to the new one, it appears as if no new work has been done on the environment, but there have been graphical enhancements thanks to the more powerful hardware of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One running RDR2.
Of course, there's always the chance that Coyotemation's post could be a fake, as the images could have been doctored in some way. What's more is that none of the images from Red Dead Redemption 2's Mexico actually show the protagonist Arthur Morgan in frame. So, this could either be an indication of the screenshots having simply been taken in first-person perspective, or it could mean that the Redditor's claims are false, as there's no corroborating evidence that the assets really are from RDR2.
https://imgur.com/gallery/RMmGStv
According to Coyotemation, however, the glitch into Red Dead Redemption 2's Mexico landscape occurred in the far west of the map near "Sea of Coronado" in New Austin. Those looking to visit and try glitching into the area for themselves should find it close to a hump of land next to the "na" in "Coronada". Nearby, there ought to be a creek that narrows, with players able to cross the river into that creek. Follow it until two landmasses meet at the narrowest point, and the bug supposedly resides there.
Following Coyotemation's discovery, some have suggested that the location is in Red Dead Redemption 2 as a placeholder for future Mexico content coming by way of potential single player DLC or Red Dead Online. Should the images be legitimate, the most logical and realistic reason for its existence in RDR2 could be the simplest and least exciting explanation–that is, Rockstar likely needed a model in order to have a natural-looking environment appear in the distance at the southernmost spot of New Austin.
While many Red Dead Redemption 2 fans will certainly keep their fingers crossed for official Mexico content in the game, we will simply have to wait and see if it actually comes to pass. So, for now, players will have to remain content with the beefy amount of gameplay already available at the moment. After all, there are plenty of story chapters and missions to go around.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.