Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 is, by far, the studio’s most successful game outside of Grand Theft Auto 5. While fans await the upcoming GTA 6 with baited breath—even if it does end up costing the ever-predicted $100 entry fee—there’s always questions about whether Rockstar will continue to explore its beloved Western series.
Speaking with podcaster Lex Fridman, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan House, who left Rockstar Games in 2020, explained that there “probably will” be a Red Dead Redemption 3, although he didn’t say if it would be the next game after GTA 6.
Houser explained that he would be “sad” if Rockstar did decide to make another Red Dead Redemption game as the story was closed off with the second game. The duology takes people through the journey of the Wild West with the ending of the first game occurring just as the world of Cowboys and Outlaws comes to an end.
“Each of the [GTA] games was kind of a standalone story,” Houser said. “It’s not quite the same [with Red Dead Redemption]. “I think it probably would be, in some ways, sadder if someone continued on Red Dead, because it was a cohesive two-game arc. That might be more sad to hear someone working on that.”
Nevertheless, Houser admits that Red Dead Redemption 3 “probably will happen” as its a hot IP. Despite being so far removed from the high-octane action of Grand Theft Auto, the game proved to be extremely popular, so why wouldn’t the current Rockstar leadership wish to continue that?
“I don’t own the IP,” Houser explained. “That was sort of part of the deal – it’s a privilege to work on stuff, but you don’t necessarily own it.”
Nevertheless, the series does exist outside of the “cohesive two-game arc”, although barely. Red Dead Revolver, the very first game in the series, is technically a different universe, but characters tell tales around campfires of that original game’s story within the sequels. Maybe, Red Dead will be the franchise going forward, and Redemption’s story is a closed book, or maybe we’ll pick up with Jack Marston for a potential third.
While the stories of Arthur Morgan and John Marston are all tied up, there’s a lot of stories that could be told in that world. Just like GTA can jump through time and locations with ease, the world of cowboy westerns has a lot more stories to tell.
