Some gamers who first became familiar with the Pinkertons through playing Rockstar’sRed Dead Redemption 2are expressing surprise online after learning that the detective agency still exists following recent headlines involving their investigators. Shortly after the release of its acclaimed old-west epic, Take-Two Interactive was actually sued by the controversial agency over claims of unauthorized use of thePinkertons inRed Dead Redemption 2.While some gamers likely only learned of the Pinkertons for the first time thanks to the repeated appearances of agents Milton and Ross throughoutRed Dead Redemption 2’s sprawling narrative, the agency has been a mainstay ofWestern filmsand fiction for generations. Formed in the 1850s by Scottish immigrant Allan Pinkerton, the Pinkerton Agency played a variety of roles in the old west from protecting presidents to investigating violations of federal law. The agency, now known as Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, has gained a checkered reputation throughout its nearly 200 years in business for serving as the muscle in a number of high-profile union-busting efforts at companies ranging from Carnegie Steel in 1892 to Amazon in 2022.RELATED:Red Dead Redemption 2 Player Gets Instant Karma From A Moonwalking HorseThough the Pinkertons have largely managed to keep out of the spotlight in recent decades, the agency is now making waves online following reports that Pinkerton investigators were sent to intimidate aMagic: The GatheringYouTuber. According to YouTuber Oldschoolmtg,Magic: The GatheringpublisherWizards of the Coast hired Pinkertonsto intimidate him after he inadvertently came into possession of cards from the upcomingMarch of the Machine Aftermathexpansion. The incident sent shockwaves through Twitter, with many gamers expressing surprise both that the agency still exists and that Wizards of the Coast would go to such extreme measures.
While some posts came fromRed Dead Redemption 2players surprised to learn that an agency more commonly associated with tracking down outlaws in the old west was still operating in the modern world, other commenters vented their frustration over the use of an agency with a history of violent tactics to intimidate a gaming content creator. Responding to news of the intimidating visit by agency investigators, one Twitter user expressed shock that “not only do the Pinkertons still exist, but WotC HIRED them????” Another user offered advice to anyone who opens the door to find a Pinkerton agent waiting, reminding readers that, unlike actual police officers, Pinkertons have “no legal authority over you or anything else” and that they “are just there to intimidate you.”
For gamers used to outrunning the Pinkertons as an outlaw inRed Dead Redemption 2, learning the agency is still around and now turning its eye to content creators is likely to come as a bit of a shock. And with recent headlines placing the real-world Pinkertons squarely in the role of villains in the eyes of some gamers, it could set the stage for Rockstar to give them an even more unsavory role wheneverRed Dead Redemption 3releases.
Red Dead Redemption 2is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
MORE:A Red Dead Redemption Spin-Off Could Trade Out the Wild West for More Dangerous Game
