Red Dead Redemption 3 is still not officially confirmed by Rockstar Games, but the prospect has already set off a familiar argument among fans: should the series keep tying itself to the existing story, or move somewhere new? The discussion picked up after a Rockstar co-founder said the game will probably happen, and it quickly spread across r/reddeadredemption.
The loudest post in the thread came from a top comment that said, “Red Dead Redemption 3 is not needed, but another Red Dead...why not,” a remark that drew over 3,000 upvotes. Other users pushed the idea in different directions. One argued that Red Dead Redemption 1 was written without Red Dead Redemption 2 in mind, but said strong writing could still make a third game fit the overall arc. Another joked, “We've had enough Red Dead Redemption. It's time for some Red Dead Desecration.”
The series has already covered a long stretch of history. It started with Red Dead Revolver in 2004, then Red Dead Redemption followed in 2010 and Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived in 2018. The games are set across both the 19th and 20th centuries, which is part of why fans see so many possible directions for a new entry. Some said a prequel would make the most sense, with the Van der Linde gang in its infancy. Others said a brand-new protagonist would be better, with one user arguing that Rockstar should not keep linking the Red Dead games together the way it does not tie Grand Theft Auto games together.
That split was clear in the thread. One fan suggested the next game could go “maybe during the gold rush or something,” while another said, “Keep going backwards in time. Red Dead should cover all horse-drawn eras. I don’t need a story tie in with the other two.” The sentiment was echoed in the line, “Yep, needs to be a new character and story. The Gold Rush era is a perfect setting.”
For now, none of it is more than speculation. Rockstar has not announced Red Dead Redemption 3, and the company is close to launching Grand Theft Auto VI later this year. That means the next real signal about Red Dead may not come until after GTA VI is out, when Rockstar can turn back to the franchise that still has fans debating whether it should continue the old story or start a new one.
