Don’t take your headlamps off and start polishing those revolvers—Rockstar Games has officially confirmed that Red Dead Redemption 3 is in the works. The announcement may not yet warrant marking your calendars, but the mere revelation of this news has caused significant ripples within the gaming community.
Do you remember when Red Dead was just this little-known title called Red Dead Revolver back in 2004? It was pretty cool, but nowhere near the juggernaut, it’s become. Then 2010 rolled around, and Red Dead Redemption just blew everyone away. It completely changed the game for what we expect from open-world adventures.
And don’t even get me started on Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018. That game was a masterpiece as they took what was great about the first Redemption game and dialed it up to eleven. I mean, who didn’t lose countless hours exploring, hunting, and, let’s be honest, accidentally falling off cliffs with your horse?
Considering how long it took to develop between Red Dead Redemption and its sequel, fans should temper their enthusiasm with a dose of patience. Rockstar Games is also neck-deep in the development of another game you may have heard of—Grand Theft Auto VI. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, cautioned fans not to expect the third installment anytime soon.
During last year’s Jefferies Virtual Global Interactive Entertainment Conference, Zelnick compared Rockstar’s major franchises, including Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, to the James Bond series. “If it’s really, really great, it will keep going,” Zelnick stated. “You would like every franchise to be James Bond.”
Zelnick emphasized the need for quality and deliberation in game development, “It also requires you to be thoughtful and willing to rest the titles,” he said. He warned against annualizing non-sports titles, stating that doing so risks “burning out the intellectual property.”
Rockstar appears committed to its strategy of producing groundbreaking titles while allowing for rest periods, ensuring that each new installment is seen as a “special event.”
Although we don’t have a lot of info on Red Dead Redemption 3 yet, Zelnick did drop some hints about what Rockstar is thinking. Like Grand Theft Auto, they see Red Dead as this long-lasting cultural release. These games have the potential to become classics that endure for generations.
Based on their track record, Rockstar will undoubtedly pull out all the stops. I mean, expect some wild storytelling, game mechanics that make you go, “Whoa, did they just do that?” and a world so immersive you’ll forget what reality is.
To sum up, you shouldn’t expect the game to be released any time soon. It’s reassuring to know they’re making an effort, and the title is in development, though. We’ve got a new Red Dead horizon to look forward to. And honestly, that’s enough to keep my inner cowboy grinning for now.
