In all the furor over Grand Theft Auto 6’s imminent release this year, it can be easy to forget that Rockstar has another best-selling title on its hands, and it continues to find its takers.
We’re talking, of course, about Red Dead Redemption 2, a take on the Wild West that continues to be a very relevant presence in modern gaming despite the last instalment being nearly eight years old at this point. Red Dead Online might have been a multiplayer mode, but it did well enough to get its own standalone version back in the day and even bit of new content as recently as last year.
And while most development resources were pulled to focus on Grand Theft Auto 6, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick denies that it was a “wasted opportunity.” Speaking to IGN, he said, “Let me be clear, there is literally nothing about Red Dead [Redemption 2] selling 85 million units that could signal a missed opportunity. And Red Dead Online has been immensely successful and long-lasting.
“I think if we didn’t have Grand Theft Auto here at our company, then people would just talk about the fact that we have this massive franchise in Red Dead, which we do and of which we’re very proud. I actually personally think Red Dead is just amazing and I love engaging with it. And I think the reason it continues to sell is that it’s just spectacular entertainment. It’s beautiful, and it feels very up to date despite the fact that it’s not a new title.”
We’re hoping that means that Rockstar hasn’t given up on the franchise, and that maybe, just maybe, it’s going to tell us that the next big title is in development after all the fuss over Grand Theft Auto 6 eventually dies down (if not the long-rumored Red Dead Redemption 2 remaster). When could that be? Your guess is as good as ours, but it’s a good sign that the franchise is being viewed so positively by its makers, isn’t it?