Summary
It is undeniable that the story ofRed Dead Redemption 2was a roaring success for Rockstar, with its core themes and characters being lauded by the game’s community. By matching and arguably exceeding the narrative of its predecessor, many fans were looking forward to what kinds of post-launch story expansions the title would eventually receive.
Of course, a lot of this attention concernedRed Dead Redemption 2eventually releasing its own take on the 2010Undead Nightmareexpansion forRed Dead Redemption.Undead Nightmare’s genuinely unsettling take onRed Deadin a zombified world was a huge point of pride for the original game, and so a similar experience forRDR2seemed a sure thing in 2018. DespiteRDR2making a clear reference toUndead Nightmare, the subsequent radio silence from Rockstar means that fans may never see a successor to the DLC.
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Rockstar put a lot of effort into makingthe world ofRed Dead Redemption 2feel extremely detailed, with a clear focus being placed on rewarding fans for exploration. This mentality gave way to a huge range of Easter eggs throughoutRDR2’s map, ranging from insignificant nods to secrets that fans have taken as hints towards future Rockstar projects.
The biggest directreference toUndead NightmareinRDR2is within a run-down well in Tall Trees. If the player descends into the well, they will notice that the character model of Arthur Morgan or John Marston appears normal in the light, but in the dark, the protagonist will take the form of a hideous zombie. This is a huge homage by Rockstar to the successful zombie experiences that the franchise has previously explored, and it is clear why so many fans thought this was a solid indicator thatUndead Nightmare 2was in the pipeline.
Of course,Red Dead 2possesses many supernatural Easter eggs, with the player being able to activate UFO sightings or even witness time travel. This offers a lot of potential narratives for a wackyRDR2spinoff, but the legacy ofUndead Nightmarehas made a zombie DLC a thing of dreams for fans. Despite this concrete groundwork for anRDR2Undead Nightmare, each passing year is another nail in the coffin for it ever coming to fruition.
With five years having passed sinceRed Dead Redemption 2’s release, the concept of a large-scale DLC likeUndead Nightmareis becoming increasingly unrealistic. For reference, the originalUndead Nightmarewas released only a few months afterRed Dead Redemption, with this quick formula clearly being abandoned by Rockstar withRDR2. While it could have been feasible forUndead Nightmare 2to be produced a few years ago,Rockstar’s attention is surely now focused onGrand Theft Auto 6instead.
This has already been evidenced inRockstar’s abandoning ofRed Dead Online, with the franchise as a whole seemingly taking a backseat in the company’s plans. As no solid information has been released aboutUndead Nightmare 2being in development, it is fairly safe to assume that the expansion will never see the light of day. This is all the more disheartening when considering the success of the originalUndead Nightmare, as well as the clear references to the DLC inRDR2, but the sheer undertaking that isGTA 6has clearly overshadowed any post-launch work for theRed Dead 2.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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