The Possibilities for Red Dead Redemption 2's Future.

Rockstar's western epic has sold over 23 million copies as of the end of 2018.

Red Dead Online is, well, dead.

Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but Rockstar’s western multiplayer mode has lost many of its players. Unlike GTA5 Online, RDO just isn’t raking in the big bucks. And it's likely that it never will. With Red Dead Online still in BETA and only receiving the odd update every now and again, it’s hard to see it being the studio's next big cash cow that can milk its player-base of every nickel and dime they have.

So, what can Rockstar do now? It’s an easy answer and something that fans desperately want: Story DLC.

Which is highly unlikely considering that Grand Theft Auto 5, which over the past 5 years has sold a record making 95 million copies so far, did not receive single player DLC. It would have sold like hot cakes. But GTA5 Online was simply more monetarily rewarding for the big bosses at Take-Two Interactive than a story DLC would ever be.

The difference with Red Dead 2, however, is that its online mode is a boring slog with nothing much to really do and it simply can’t hold down a consistent player base. Having single player DLC would certainly bring some dough rolling in for both its developer and publisher.

So, what could these DLC’s be?

Undead Nightmare 2

I actually prefer Undead Nightmare to the main game.

The original Undead Nightmare for 2011’s Red Dead Redemption, is praised as one of, if not the, best DLC of all time. It uses the exact same map and assets as the main game with the only difference being it’s now overrun with bloodthirsty hordes of zombies. The self-aware, witty writing was the greatest highlight. The game knows how stupid this is and it uses that to its advantage to poke fun at all the over-used horror tropes in modern media.

So why Undead Nightmare 2?

For starters, the size of Red Dead Redemption 2’s map. Remember the Bayou region? Remember it at night with its ghosts, sobbing women in the middle of the swamps and the already zombie-like Night Folk?

Imagine that but with screeching zombies that you can hear but due to the thick fog that consumes the screen, you cannot see. It’d be damn scary, and I’d certainly do my upmost to avoid the Bayou even more than I already do.

It wouldn’t just have to limited to zombies, either. Red Dead Redemption 2 went buck-wild when it came to its supernatural elements. There was the vampire of Saint Denis, the wolf man at Roanoke Ridge, three different UFO encounters and that’s just to name a few.

If there was to be single player DLC, Undead Nightmare 2 is the most realistic choice that Rockstar would make.

Red Dead Remake

With a remake, players could seamlessly connect Red Dead Redemption to it's 2018 prequel.

All the assets needed to remake the original Red Dead Redemption in RDR2’s engine already exist. Players managed to find a glitch into an inaccessible Mexico and made the discovery that not only was it fully rendered, but buildings had been fully created and even music from RDR played in the background.

Not to mention the glitch that causes the player character’s voice in Red Dead 2 to change to that of adult Jack Marston, who players take control of in the 2011 original's epilogue.

Due to this, a remake of the classic would seem pretty likely at some point.

I wouldn’t get your hopes to high, though.

A Prequel to The Prequel

"The curious couple and their unruly son."

If Rockstar were to venture even further back in the timeline, it would probably be for Red Dead Redemption 3. Still, there’s a slight chance that a story focusing on the high jinks of a teenage Arthur Morgan and his adoptive fathers, Dutch and Hosea, during the early days of the Van Der Linde gang is a possibility.

Throw in kiddie John Marston and Rockstar will have themselves one hell of an easy seller.

Sadie Adler

Sadie is up there with the likes of Lara Croft when it comes to badassery.

Another story that fans want to see on screen is that of one of Red Dead Redemption 2’s best characters, Sadie.

It would be interesting to see just went on with her during the seven-year time skip between the end of Chapter 6 and the Epilogue.

A rough and tough bounty hunter adventure across New Hanover and New Austin is very appealing.

Charles Smith

Best bro Charles.

The same case can also be made for fan favourite Charles. What happened during the time skip? Perhaps a story centred around Charles helping Rains Falls’ tribe escape America and into the relative safety of Canada. Maybe even a story about what happened after the events of the epilogue?

Perhaps I’m too optimistic about at least one of popular ideas happening at some point in the near future. If 2019 comes and goes without a nugget of information from Rockstar themselves, I think it’ll be safe to say that there will be no additional single player content. Ever.

No way am I waiting 4 years for DLC like we all did with GTA5 only for Rockstar to turn around one day and state they forgot to mention it would never be happening.

If there are no story DLC’s then…

John Marston Farming Simulator, anyone?

*The House Building Song plays in the distance*