There have been plenty of rumours surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 in the past few weeks, and while no one has really doubted that the game will happen in the future, we may have just had our most solid piece of evidence yet that Red Dead Redemption 2 is in development after a map of the game was leaked online.
The map was first posted on NeoGaf and has since be taken down, but it appears to show that the next Red Dead game will be set further east than Red Dead Redemption, although not by much. That’s because in the bottom left corner of the leaked map, you’ll see the Great Plains and Blackwater City. Both of these locations were featured prominently in Red Dead Redemption with Blackwater City being near the top right of the RDR map. Therefore, you can see that the two maps are very closely linked.
Techradar have also confirmed the source of the map leak, however, despite it being quickly removed from NeoGaf. They claim that someone close to the development of the next Red Dead game confirmed to them that the leaked map is indeed real, telling them that it’s a “very recent” art direction map for the upcoming title.
The source also told Techradar that the game will be a prequel to Red Dead Redemption. That claim is backed up by the leaked map which appears to show the absence of a railroad in the Great Plains. In Red Dead Redemption, which was set in 1911, the Great Plains did have a railroad, so the lack of one in the new map suggests that Red Dead Redemption 2 will take place before the events of the RDR.
The map also features lots of water and islands, including rivers which may suggest that Red Dead Redemption 2 will allow players to swim, as well as possibly allow players to use boats to travel through the world. Red Dead Redemption was famous for not allowing players to swim, with the player dying if they entered the water. It was a feature that many wished was included, so hopefully swimming will be available in the next game in the series.
