Red Dead Redemption 2 secret completely changes the game's ending

If you’ve played Red Dead Redemption 2, then you’ll know why many players hail it as having one of the best open worlds of all-time.

The attention to detail is exquisite. It’s why so many players continue to find and uncover ‘new’ details today.

Truthfully, we’ll never know when we’ve fully uncovered all of Red Dead Redemption 2’s secrets. That day could’ve passed or it could be still to come.

What I do know though is that Rockstar’s attention to detail is so acute that there are always details that are new to some players.

Just when you think you know the map like the back of your hand, there’s always an open world encounter or sighting that takes you by surprise.

For today’s little tidbit, I want to draw your attention to the town of Valentine which is home to a curse that actually has implications on the game’s ending.

Take a look at some of our favourite Red Dead Redemption 2 wins and fails below.

It’s well worth investigating the town of Valentine when the opportunity arises during your playthrough but if you glossed over that particular task, worry not. I’m here to give you the lowdown.

In the New Hanover Gazette, you’ll find an article headlined “The Curse of Valentine: A Haunted Spectacle.”

It reads: “The town of Valentine has reported many strange sights and sounds in recent years, and residents speak of a curse that has fallen on the area. Spectral canoes have been seen on the water, and the cries of mourning Indian mothers have been heard at night.”

“At other times, usually on windy, starlit evenings, piercing cries are heard from the distance. Residents claim this is due to the Indian family murdered years ago with a treasure they had found,” it continues.

Many NPCs in the local area will also make passing reference to the curse, with one particular NPC mentioning a painting depicting a Native American massacre that took place in the town.

The painting supposedly showed colonists attacking the natives but cannot actually be found in the game, only in the source code.

It’s thought that a long surviving native may have placed a curse on the town following this. Kate, what’s this got to do with Red Dead Redemption 2’s ending, I hear you ask?

Well, it’s in Valentine that Arthur Morgan meets Thomas Downes and Leopold Strauss with the money collected from Downes leading to Arthur’s eventual contraction of tuberculosis.

I imagine you’re putting it together now. Many believe that Arthur’s contraction of the disease is a part of the Native American curse.

Of course, whether you believe that’s true or not is up to you, but it’s interesting to see that Rockstar attempted to tie its storytelling into the game’s deeper (and lesser known) lore.

It goes without saying that Arthur isn’t a resident of Valentine which complicates things but perhaps it’s his greed in accepting Downes’ money within the town that causes him to fall ill - or maybe he simply just fell ill through bad luck.

Whatever you choose to believe, it’s an interesting bit of information to take note of.