Despite only covering two modern entries, theRed Dead Redemptionfranchise is one of the most high-profile in gaming. Considered by many as the best Wild West gaming experience ever made, the Rockstar franchise has grown to rival the likes ofGrand Theft Autoand beyond. A lot of discussion still surrounds 2018’sRed Dead Redemption 2, with it being clear that fans of the IP are desperate for any new developments that may surface from Rockstar or other sources close to the games.
This is best evidenced by some recent comments made by Rob Wiethoff, the voice actor forRed Dead Redemption’s beloved John Marston. Wiethoff’s statements about an exciting upcoming project led to an explosion of theories and debate within theRDRcommunity, although it seems that these comments may not have been referring toRed Dead Redemptionwhatsoever. While disappointing, the intense community response to the prospect of a newRed Deadproject is a testament to just how popular the franchise is. With this in mind, it seems a shame forRed Dead Redemptionto lay dormant, and there are some obvious steps that Rockstar could take to keep the franchise alive and kicking over the coming years.
Rob Wiethoff has a very close relationship with theRed Dead Redemptioncommunity, often interacting with fans through livestreams to detail his experiences with the franchise. This close relationship puts extra attention on his potential knowledge of futureRDRprojects, with the voice actor recently teasing some “exciting news” while livestreamingthe originalRed Dead Redemption. Wiethoff seemed to indicate that the news was related toRDRspecifically, with fans quickly imagining what this could mean for the franchise.
Roger Clark, the voice actor for Arthur Morgan, has also hinted towards someRed Deadnews surfacing soon, only adding to the confusion around what the franchise has in store.
Sadly, however, Wiethoff later clarified in a separate livestream that he does not make any official announcements on behalf of Rockstar, with fans now instead believing that the news in question could be related to something like aRed Deadcast meet-up event. There is still a minor possibility that Wiethoff could have been referring to the heavily rumoredNintendo Switch 2 or enhanced Xbox Series X/S and PS5 ports ofRDR2, although this is still unconfirmed, and seems unlikely given the backtracking.
Away from these potential ports, fans clearly want more fromRDRas a whole, with many hopeful theories originally suggesting that Wiethoff’s comments may have indicated that aRed Dead Redemptionremaster or even remakemay have been in the works. Fans have been wanting a revamped version of the originalRDRever since its sequel launched in 2018, with the improved game engine ofRDR2and the shared locations of both games seeming like a perfect match for such a project. While Wiethoff’s comments were clearly not referring to this, the desire for this kind of release is clearly there.
Of course,Rockstar’s attention will firmly be placed onGrand Theft Auto6over the coming years, although that does not mean thatRed Deadshould be temporarily abandoned to facilitate this. Other fans have been quite receptive to non-gamingRed Deadprojects for some time now, with the prospect of a live-action movie or TV adaptation based on the series having some potential to introduce the IP to a wider audience.
It is no secret that live-action gaming adaptations are often quite divisive, but the layeredcharacters and stories of theRed Deadworldcould be quite conducive to a big-budget production. While the concept of something likeRDR3seems way-off in the impending shadow ofGTA 6, there are still so many avenues that the gunslinging series can explore. The recent short-lived excitement around Wiethoff’s comments echoes this, with the likes of tasteful adaptations or a fully-fledged revisit of the originalRDRbeing just a few examples of the kind of treatment that the IP deserves.
