When the Red Dead Redemption 2 map appeared online, only to get quickly taken down, fans still had time to take in enough details to figure out what a sequel to the popular Wild West game might offer.
It doesn't even matter that a sequel to the RPG hasn't even been announced yet by developer Rockstar Games: what matters is that it seems that the developer has plans to finally make a second Red Dead Redemption happen.
The map initially appeared on a NeoGAF forum post, with a comment that it came directly from Rockstar Games. It disappeared just as quickly, but not before fans saw it and TechRadar put up a slightly cleaned up version of it.
However, even the clearer version of the map is sort of blurry and hard to read. So, one fan took that map, along with knowledge of the first Red Dead Redemption map, and created a crystal-clear image that clears up any misperceptions.
Fans will recognize two areas instantly: Tall Trees and Great Plains. Blackwater, from the previous game, is also present. One thing that is also clear is that this map is larger than that of the first game, it falls east of the map from the original game and includes a lot of water, suggesting that there could be some swimming or boating that will take place in the sequel.
The map also features a large area called New Bordeaux, along with other new towns, settlements, camps, homesteads and gang hideouts.
TechRadar says that its reputable source refers to the map as the "real deal." That source also informed the site that Red Dead Redemption 2 will take place before events in the original game, which means that James Marston will return (the first game ended just after the character's death). The map verifies this timeline: it doesn't show a railroad in the Great Plains (which appears in the first game's map), possibly meaning that the second game occurs before that railroad gets built.
As far as plot or storyline goes, though, there is no word. There's also no word on if Red Dead Redemption 2 will actually happen, and so far, fans only have this map and TechRadar's word that the title will actually exist at some point. Considering that the original Red Dead Redemption came out in 2010, most fans would argue that it is long overdue for a sequel.
