[UPDATE: It looks like the screenshot doesn't belong to Red Dead Redemption 2 in any way, shape, or form, as it is a still from the newly revealed PC MMO Wild West Online. The original story continues below.]

With Rockstar Games having shared little to practically nothing at all about the development process for Red Dead Redemption 2 since its reveal trailer from several months ago, it seems as if potential insiders from the developer could be resorting to sharing details about the game by way of online message boards. As a matter of fact, a recent post on the GTAForums by an account that was created roughly six hours ago has now posted a screenshot of what appears to be a scene from the forthcoming western title.

As seen in the image below, the simple still of a cowpoke leaning against a front porch post in a small town offers what could be a glimpse at an early build of Red Dead Redemption 2, or even actual solidified gameplay for the release. Of course, it's also quite possible that the picture is a fabrication, as Photoshop wizardry has definitely reached an all time high, so fans will want to maintain a skeptical eye when it comes to accepting the photo as evidence of the actual game.

Many users on the GTAForums are hotly debating the veracity of the above image for what is purportedly a look at Red Dead Redemption 2, with many arguing that it's difficult to determine the legitimacy of the photo due to it appearing to be a shot taken of an on-screen picture. Whatever the case may be, a plethora of Internet sleuths are currently hard at work attempting to decipher the still's validity.

As of now, with Rockstar Games keeping an extremely tight lid on Red Dead Redemption 2's production, there's really no way to place the picture into any kind of greater context other than to correlate it with the title's genre as a western. That said, though, considering the screenshot's perspective focusing on a character facing the viewer, it's possible that the picture is intimating a possible first-person mode in RDR2 like Rockstar implemented in Grand Theft Auto 5.

Taking all of this into consideration, while it's nearly impossible to discern whether or not the screenshot leak for Red Dead Redemption 2 is valid without Rockstar's corroboration, it definitely speaks to the sheer excitement surrounding the title's release. After all, many are considering it to be one of the most highly anticipated games of 2017, so hopefully the developer will provide further information about the western release either at E3 2017 or sometime shortly thereafter.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently in production for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Source: GTAForums