Red Dead Redemption 2 just got a new trailer, and analysts are poring over every last second of it for potential clues. A particularly eagle-eyed redditor yuv912 may have just confirmed the map leak from April is indeed real.
In order to validate the discovery, we need to take a close look at the image posted by the source. As we can see in the larger view here, there’s a blue, circled Aberdeen Farm House that’s surrounded by train tracks with the Cumberland Forest just north of it. This may take a little bit of mental gymnastics to visualize, but, about 37 seconds into the trailer, there appears to be a small farm house near sets of train tracks with a large wooded cluster to the northern side.
Still not sold? See those mountains in the distance? They line up right where the Grizzlies, a great name for a mountain range, are supposed to be. The source leaked map also showed the Grizzlies in raised dark gray, which is a pretty solid indicator of them being mountains.
While all analysis based on leaks should always be taken with a fair degree of salt, most responses in the source thread overwhelmingly praise the findings. There remains a bit of debate over the placement of curved rivers in the leak not being as easy to spot in the trailer, but even those might be explained by a quick shot of water at the clip’s 23-second mark. The sources of the leak repeatedly said the map was real, and this may be the best piece of affirming evidence we have right now.
Should those prior details be accurate, they might go a long way toward revealing where Red Dead Redemption 2 is located. A key point of emphasis brought up a few months back is the city of New Bordeaux in the map’s bottom right. That fictional locale is the site of Mafia 3, which just released earlier this month. Both Red Dead and Mafia are published by Take-Two Interactive, so a crossover could make sense.
The main point to drive home, however, is that New Bordeaux is essentially meant to stand in for New Orleans. With that frame of reference established, Red Dead Redemption 2 could easily focus on the border area between Louisiana and Texas. The namesake of New Austin is a solid giveaway there.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is expected to come to PS4 and Xbox One in the fall of 2017. Rockstar Games has partnered with Sony for timed-exclusive DLC.
What do you think of this map analysis? Is there enough to confirm that the leaked Red Dead Redemption 2 map is real? What differences can you spot? Tell us in the comments section!
