Red Dead Redemption 2is among gaming’s most expansive and detailed worlds, offering dedicated players far more than a simple open-world campaign. The title’s fictitious United States is home to a variety of strange and terrifying secrets, and players who dare to dig deep enough can discover a long list of mysteries to solve. While many ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s mysteriestake the form of small easter eggs or NPC dialogue, the Blackwater Athletics Team murder mystery stands out as one of the title’s most disturbing. While some players may view its various clues as a series of horrific details, those who decide to connect the dots will find themselves tracking down a serial killer, before entering into a fight for their very survival.
Red Dead Redemption 2follows Van der Linde Gang member Arthur Morgan, in a fictitious take on America’s Wild West. In a bid to escape the ramifications of a heist gone wrong, the gang flees to a new territory before starting over. However, the journey leads many members of the Van Der Linde Gang to realize the time of outlaws may be coming to an end, leading the group to make one last attempt to set themselves up financially for life.Red Dead Redemption 2’s narrative is made all the better by its approach to realism, a characteristic that extends to the deepest nooks and crannies of its darkest mysteries.
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The Murder of the Blackwater Athletics Team
Red Dead Redemption 2’s darkest mysterycan be discovered by first reading an issue of The Blackwater Ledger, a newspaper sold in various towns. An article in The Blackwater Ledger No. 69 titled “Blackwater Athletics Team Missing” states that the team was last seen leaving the north edge of town for a group athletics run, but never returned. While their loved ones first suspect that the team was kidnapped by Native Americans, those claims are refuted, leading investigators to a dead-end. Should players head west of town, they can discover the team, still in their uniforms, buried in a mass grave. Nearby a large “B” has been formed from amputated arms and legs belonging to additional victims of the killer.
The murder of the Blackwater Athletics Team is a prime example ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s penchant for real-world parallels, as the event is a reference to a modern historical event, the Los Maniceros Massacre. In 2009, 11 members of a Colombian amateur football team were kidnapped and killed, while its twelfth member escaped. This sole survivor claimed the crime was committed by the National Liberation Army of Colombia, under their leader El Payaso - the clown. Developer Rockstar Games left an easter egg confirming the reference within the fictitious crime scene, as a few corpses are wearing bags displaying crudely drawn clown faces on their heads.
The Blackwater Athletics Team is One Piece of a Larger Mystery
Players can discover three more killing sites while completing one ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s Stranger Missions, titled American Dreams. Each site features strange messages, written in graffiti, asking the player to “behold” and “look upon” the killer’s works. Upon finding these locations, players are able to construct a map, leading to the basement of Lucky’s Cabin. The basement is home to Edmund Lowry Jr., who players will quickly realize is the one responsible for the fate of the Blackwater Athletics Team, as another B, constructed of body parts, can be found in the basement, as well as a large knife.
Interacting withEdmund Lowry Jr.’s Knife, will see Arthur captured by the serial killer, leading to a life-or-death struggle. However, the deeper mystery surrounding Edmund’s reason and methodology for killing the Blackwater Athletics Team is never revealed. Even if players attempt to deliver Lowry to jail, he will force the player to shoot him by attacking the Sheriff. While many details die with Edmund, the player can rest easy knowing that they have brought an end to Lowry’s killing spree and brought closure to the Blackwater Athletics Team’s friends and family.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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