Red Dead Redemption 2 Map Was Cut By 90%, So Much Content Lost

Red Dead Redemption 2 players have discovered that the popular Rockstar Games western was intended to be much bigger, until a huge section of the map was cut by 90%.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, as reflected by its near-perfect 98 score on the aggregate website, Metacritic.

The Rockstar Games western was universally praised by critics and gamers alike with its gripping story of loyalty, betrayal and heartbreak. Its immersive open-world and stunning visuals still hold up today, despite being released in 2018 on last-gen consoles.

A sequel to the game that was first released in 2010 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, without giving too much away, in Red Dead Redemption 2, you play as Arthur Morgan, a leading member of the infamous band of outlaws, collectively known as the Dutch van der Linde gang.

Was the RDR2 Map Supposed to Be Much Bigger?

As detailed on the Red Dead Wiki page, it’s no secret that the island of Guarma, which featured in Chapter 5, was supposed to be bigger not only in map size, but also had other content cut, such as missions and new NPCs.

However, what you may not know, in terms of the Guarma map size, the final version that featured in the game was cut by a huge 90%.

“This was the island of Guarma, before 90% of it was cut from the game,” shared Redditor Similar-Housing-7577. “Chapter 5 would have been so much better if the island were that size.”

RDR2 Fans Share Their Thoughts on the Cut Content

“If only Rockstar focused on making the base game even better instead of trying to make it online,” replied FurinaLoverU, with PreviousLingonberry4 adding, "If only they didn't abandon Red Dead Online afterwards.”

“No doubt, this was all cut in favour of the ill-conceived Online component of the game. What a terrible shame,” said Banjomir75.

“It was also supposed to have a legendary animal there, too,” said DarthClover4.

“Thinking what RDR2 could've been with another six months is why I try not to get upset about release delays,” exclaimed superc3real. It’s still my favourite game of all time, but Guarma could've been this big surprise highlight of RDR2, rather than an unexplored chore to get through.”

READ MORE: Red Dead Redemption 2 Gets Phone Port Before New-Gen Upgrade

Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.