Rockstar Games, the company behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, has postponed the release of its highly anticipated Red Dead Redemption sequel to the spring of 2018.
The video game giant apologised to fans in a statement, saying that "some extra time is necessary to ensure that we can deliver the best experience possible".
Red Dead Redemption 2 was slated for release this year, according to TrustedReviews, although the first glimpse of gameplay is still expected at next month's E3 games show.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Unlike the company's most recent game, Grand Theft Auto 5, Red Dead Redemption 2 will be its first title designed exclusively for next generation hardware – the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Details of the Western shooter are scarce, but TechRadar says it could take place before the events of the last game and use parts of the original's world map.
While the game is described as a sequel to the critically-acclaimed Red Dead Redemption, it's actually the third instalment in the series.
When it launched on PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox back in 2004, Red Dead Revolver was praised by Gamespot for its "great style" and "well told" story.
This was followed by Red Dead Redemption in 2010, which explores the story of John Marston, a gun-for-hire cowboy.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is now expected to launch next spring on the Xbox One and PS4. As with the previous game, a PC version will not be available when it launches.
Red Dead Redemption 2: Prequels come to PlayStation Now
1 December 2016
Subscribers to PlayStation Now will be able to stream Red Dead Redemption and its Undead Nightmare expansion from 6 December, Rockstar Games announced.
The open-world western adventure, features former outlaw John Marsden, who must lead members of his old gang to the Bureau of Investigation to win his freedom and return to his family. The game takes the player across the United States and Mexico, travelling by horse or train.
Critics voted Red Dead Redemption game of the year when it was released in 2010. "It's a sprawling and engrossing experience," said the Daily Telegraph, offering "a gigantic amount of playing time".
The sequel is expected to reach players by autumn 2017. A trailer released in October shows a gorgeous new game world packed with wild animals and a glimpse at a mysterious new character.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"102342","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]] PlayStation Now, which costs for £12.99 per month, lets gamers stream PS3 games to their PS4 console. There are hundreds of titles on the service, including Bioshock, the Uncharted franchise and The Last of Us.
Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer: What do we learn from teaser?
20 October
Rockstar Games has released a teaser trailer for the long-awaited next instalment of its Red Dead game franchise.
The company had teased the announcement of the new title over the weekend, tweeting its logo against a red backdrop. It then officially broke the news on Tuesday that a Red Dead game will be released in Autumn 2017.
Although the new episode is titled Red Dead Redemption 2, it is actually the third in the series after 2004's Red Dead Revolver and 2010's Red Dead Redemption.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"102342","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
The trailer, released at 4pm BST today, offers a tantalising glimpse at what players can expect. Red Dead Redemption 2 appears to be retaining some of the key aspects which made the previous games a success - a richly-textured historical setting, stunning Western vistas and an open world for free roaming adventures.
Towards the end of the clip, a voice says: "Listen to me. When the time comes, you gotta run and don't look back. This is over," before a posse of outlaws gallops across the plains and the screen fades to black.
Although it has been six years since Red Dead Redemption was released, fans have clearly not lost any interest in the franchise. Within a minute of appearing on the company's YouTube channel, the clip had received more than 20,000 views.
Red Dead Redemption 2: When will Rockstar's sequel come out?
18 October
Rockstar Games has sent a thrill through the gaming world by officially confirming that a third Red Dead game is in the works – and will go on sale in autumn 2017.
Rumours the company was ready to announce the follow-up reached fever pitch with just one tweet on Sunday. The message showed the Rockstar logo against a backdrop that appeared to be the distinctive shade of red associated with the franchise.
A second tweet revealing silhouettes of characters in Wild West clothing all but confirmed an exciting announcement was on the cards.
Rockstar finally put an end to the rumours this afternoon, tweeting the very first promo poster for the next instalment.
Gamers have around a year in which to twiddle their thumbs before they can get their hands on the as-yet-untitled sequel, but a trailer slated for release at 11amEST (4pm BST) on Thursday will whet fans' appetites.
So far Rockstar has only referred to the game as Red Dead Redemption 2, but fans speculate the series could follow on from 2004's Red Dead Revolver and 2010's Red Dead Redemption with a similar title. Popular suggestions include Red Dead Revolution and Red Dead Revenge.
Red Dead Redemption 2: Is Rockstar's teaser a red herring or proof of a sequel?
17 October
Rockstar Games may be on the verge of revealing one of the gaming industry's most anticipated and demanded titles – Red Dead Redemption 2.
The game development studio, which also makes the famed Grand Theft Auto series, set the internet abuzz over the weekend with a simple tweet that hints that a new Red Dead game will be revealed imminently.
It may just be a picture of the Rockstar Logo on a grubby red background, but fans think that a subtle message is coming through loud and clear. It's since been re-tweeted over 100,000 times, and though the tweet is vague, it's the first official nod from the usually buttoned up studio that a sequel to the western action adventure game is coming soon.
Until now there have been very few rumblings about the next Red Dead title, but back in April TechRadar published what it claims is the game's map, with verification from an insider.
Alongside the map leak, Alphr has put together a list of what to expect from the game. For starters, it's pretty likely that it won't be called Red Dead Redemption 2, given that the 2010 game is already the second in the Red Dead series. Red Dead Retribution or something similar seems like the best bet for now.
The game will probably incorporate many of the new mechanics introduced in Grand Theft Auto V, so there could be multiple playable protagonists.
Alphr believes the game could be a prequel rather than a sequel. The site says it could be set 12 years before the events of Red Dead Redemption, which took place at the end of the American frontier in 1911.
Alternatively, The Independent says that Rockstar might not have the next Red Dead title ready just yet, but could be preparing a re-mastered version of Redemption for the latest generation of gaming consoles.
Either way, the studio is likely to reveal all soon. TechRadar reports that a first trailer for whatever Rockstar has up its sleeve could arrive as early as Thursday.
