Earlier this month, an anonymous leaker claimed that a remake or remaster of the original Red Dead Redemption was in the works, but given that they provided nothing as proof, it was mostly swept under the rug. Rightfully so, as if there is one thing that the rumor mill does, it's play to the hypes of hopes of gamers across the industry. A Red Dead Redemption remaster is specifically one of those, as the ten-year-old game is a classic with a wildly successful sequel to boot.
Now, however, there appears to be some evidence that the rumor-monger was, at least, partially correct. This may mean absolutely nothing, but this rumor compounded with Rockstar Games' presence at the PS5 event and some leaked SKUs via Amazon, it seems that the stars are aligning and that the rumor may now hold more water than before.
Red Dead Redemption Remaster/Remake Rumors
Before diving into the new evidence, here's a quick refresher on what the anonymous leaker claimed about the game. First, it was said that Rockstar Games would announce the game this year and release it in either Q1/Q2 2020. The game is essentially rebuilt on Red Dead Redemption 2's engine, complete with several enhancements including the fishing and hunting mechanisms, as well as new missions that could potentially mention Arthur Morgan in the original RDR.
On top of that, several voice actors including John Marston's Rob Wiethoff were said to return, the game is said to release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, and Red Dead Online could get a Mexico expansion release alongside it. The rumor goes on to say that it is being worked on by Rockstar India, that it's not just an add-on or DLC for Red Dead Redemption 2, that it'll include Undead Nightmare, that it's in the late stages of development, and that it has been priced yet (but seems likely to be about 40 bucks).
That's the gist of it, though there has been no confirmation or comment yay or nay on this rumor by Rockstar Games. The leaker had no evidence but was seemingly confident in themselves, which could just be the act of a good fake leaker. There's nothing really contradictory about this, either, but so as far as leaks go, it's one to file under hopeful but unlikely at the same time.
The New Evidence: Grand Theft Auto 5, PS5, and Amazon SKUS
Now, while there was no evidence when the claim was made, some interesting new developments add a little credence to the Red Dead Redemption Remaster possibility. Rockstar Games recently appeared at the PS5 reveal event, re-affirming its partnership in gaming and to bring high quality content to next-gen consoles. As such, it announced that an enhanced and expanded version of GTA 5 was coming to PS5, a move that everyone saw coming for two reasons. The first is that it's an obviously successful game that will likely perform well in the early days of the next gen console, and secondly because it leaked a few days prior.
Amazon listings have leaked the existence of several games recently, and users have found six SKUs related to Rockstar Games. Each SKU is either related to the PS5 or the Xbox Series X, which means there's a total of three titles from Rockstar Games being worked on. Many predicted two of them being GTA 5 ports to the next-gen consoles, as well as ports of Red Dead Redemption 2 to next-gen consoles. Given how beautiful and successful these games are on current-gen, this is perfectly obvious, but the question becomes: what is the third SKU?
Sure, Rockstar Games has an extended portfolio of games it could use, and there are several Rockstar Games that deserve a comeback. Midnight Club, Bully, the lost IP Agent, and more all come to mind, but the problem is that Rockstar Games has developer a reputation for taking its time and shipping high-quality games, potentially at the expense of its wider portfolio. Rockstar is synonymous with Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption now, more so than anything else, but recent reports indicate that Grand Theft Auto 6 is still years away.
This means that the most logical explanation for the third SKU is the rumored Red Dead Redemption remaster, and this lines up with what the rumormonger has said so far. The big question that remains is, if not at the PS5 event, when will it be revealed if it is indeed soon and releasing next year? The short answer is Summer has just begun. Rockstar Games can likely ride the success of GTA 5 for some time, but there has to be some sort of release between now and GTA 6. This remaster fits the mold perfectly.
There are still several months of game reveals coming up, and it's not impossible Rockstar Games appears at Summer Game Fest, at Xbox's upcoming showcase, or at another PS5 event later this year. At the same time, Rockstar Games is so prolific that it doesn't need these venues and could drop the announcement at any time. It's currently a waiting game to see if the stars align.
Of course, this is far from confirmation that a RDR Remaster is in the works; it could all be coincidental. However, there's a lot of coincidences happening around Rockstar Games, so players just have to wait and see what is up its sleeves. And maybe, just maybe, the epic story of this epic western isn't over yet.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
Source: Reddit