Will Fans Need to Wait Another Eight Years for Red Dead Redemption 3?
Although only time will tell whether Red Dead Redemption 2 will be as enduringly successful as GTA 5, the game’s launch was record-breaking. The game shows every sign of achieving considerable success over the next few years, especially as Rockstar begins to work on post-launch content. Given its success so far, it seems very likely that Rockstar will plan to release Red Dead Redemption 3 at some stage, but when would that happen? Fans had to wait eight years for the release of a sequel to the original Red Dead Redemption. Will they be waiting another eight years for the third instalment?
How Long Will Fans Need to Wait for Red Dead Redemption 3?
Rockstar released the original Red Dead Redemption way back in 2010. Launching to critical acclaim, the game won a variety of Game of the Year awards and is still one of the highest-regarded games among critics. Understandably, it set a high bar for its sequel. It’s fair to say that it not only matched that standard, but actually exceeded it. Red Dead Redemption 2’s launch was the second-largest in the history of all entertainment. The game made over $725 million in its first weekend alone. It won several awards during the Game Awards. (Although it lost out on Game of the Year to God of War.) Nonetheless, the game has received near-universal critical acclaim.
With a launch this successful, a third entry in the series is all but inevitable. However, fans may be left waiting for a long time. In between Red Dead Redemption and its sequel, Rockstar released L.A. Noire, Max Payne 3, GTA 5, and L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files. As a result, it’s entirely possible that the game wasn’t in serious development for the entire eight-year gap. Presumably, Rockstar will aim to release GTA 6 before they release Red Dead Redemption 3. However, they currently have no announced projects underway. They haven’t even confirmed development of GTA 6. As such, it’s impossible to know whether they have any other plans for the next few years.
If Rockstar mirrored the development time of Red Dead Redemption 2, then Red Dead Redemption 3 might not release until 2026, with an announcement for the game coming in 2024. However, the studio has certainly expanded in recent years thanks to the enormous financial success of GTA 5. If they invest in expanding their development team and capabilities, and don’t develop any other titles in the next few years, then it’s certainly possible that fans could see Red Dead Redemption 3 come sooner. A major factor here could be whether Red Dead Redemption 2’s online feature is successful.
GTA Online has, of course, enjoyed enormous success since the game’s release. As a result, Rockstar has produced a steady stream of post-launch content for it. If Red Dead Online follows a similar pattern, then Rockstar may focus more on supporting the game post-launch rather than focusing on a sequel. Whatever the case, it’s unlikely that fans will be able to do more than speculate about Red Dead Redemption 3 for the next few years at the very least.