Summary
WithGTA 6finally on the horizon, fans of both the long-establishedGrand Theft Autofranchise andRed Dead Redemptionhave a new open-world sandbox to look forward to. When theGrand Theft Auto 6trailer leaked back in December 2023, one day ahead of its scheduled release, it sent fans into a frenzy of speculation and excitement. The first glimpse at Vice City provided plenty to analyze, including exciting new characters, events, and locations from past games. With such a massive open world to explore and play through, it would be fitting if there is some sort of substantial connection to the universe ofRed Dead.
Red Dead Redemption 2was released back in 2018 and quickly became one of the most critically acclaimed games by Rockstar Games. Aside fromGTA OnlineupdatesandRed DeadOnlinecontent, there has been no major Rockstar game since 2018’sRed Dead 2. Five years after Rockstar’s last game, and ten years since the lastGTA, fans have had a long time to explore every inch of the past game’s maps and think about what the next game should feature. Eagle-eyed fans have discovered secrets hidden in each of Rockstar’s recent games, including several references that seemingly connect the worlds ofGTAandRed Dead.Grand Theft Auto 6has the opportunity to take this connection even further.
There have been numerousRed Dead Redemptionreferences inGTAand vice versa. Some of the most substantial are:
Based on the numerous references, it seems that there is potential for these two franchises to exist in the same universe. Many of theRed DeadEaster Eggs inGTAseem to be there primarily to serve as a small nod to other series, but there is potential for them to be linked.Red Dead Redemptioncould conceivably have occurred in the past ofGTA’s timeline. Even thoughRDRnever explicitly mentions Liberty City, Vice City, etc., they could still potentially be out there.
How GTA 6 Can Unite Rockstar’s Games
Grand Theft Auto 6has the opportunity to take years of references and small nods and finally give them some validity. AsGTA 6takes place in a fictional version of the American South, it could conceivably connect tolocations fromRed Dead Redemption–possibly even as far as the state of Lemoyne fromRDR2, where players can explore the city of San Denis in the modern day.RDR2featured several states andGTA 6is expected to be a larger map, so it’s possible players could traverse far from Vice City.
Rockstar could also connect the two game franchises with a character that is a direct descendant of someone fromRDR. It could be interesting to see how a modern Marston or a descendant of a character like Sadie Adler would fit in aGTAstory. At the very least, substantial references such as items, outfits, andgear from theRed Deadserieswould be cool to have inGTA 6.
