Red Dead Redemption 3 leaving out iconic character, and we're heartbroken

Red Dead Redemption fans are heartbroken following an update on an iconic character, but this should come as no surprise.

Alongside the Goliath that is the Grand Theft Auto series, the other giant property of Rockstar Games is without question its Wild West series Red Dead Redemption, considered to be one of the most beloved video game properties of all time.

Check out the Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer below!

The popular series made its debut with Red Dead Revolver in 2004 but it wasn't until Red Dead Redemption in 2010 that the series truly made its mark on the industry. Red Dead Redemption tells the story of John Marston, a man trying his best to live an honest life and leave the infamous Dutch van der Linde gang in the past.

Then in 2018, we were treated to its prequel, starring Arthur Morgan, a leading member of the aforementioned Dutch van der Linde gang. Arguably, Red Dead Redemption 2 improved on its predecessors in almost every way as reflected by its Metacritic score of 97.

So it stands to reason that fans would love nothing more than to play Red Dead Redemption 3, and I’d like to think that based on previous success, Rockstar Games will make that happen one day but it’s likely to be after GTA VI.

The chances are that if or when Red Dead Redemption 3 happens, it will be another prequel. After all, the original Red Dead Redemption is set in 1911 and anything after that would lose most of its Wild West identity.

I am about to venture into spoilers here for the Red Dead Redemption series, so consider this to be your spoiler warning.

When a fan asked Roger Clark, the actor who plays Arthur Morgan, about the future of the series and whether the character would return, he answered, “I’m certain we will see RDR3 one day. When that will be - I have absolutely no idea. Don’t count on Arthur’s involvement either. His story has been told, I feel.”

When the story of Red Dead Redemption takes place, Arthur Morgan does not exist, so there’s no way he’d be part of a traditional sequel. The only way his return would make sense is if Red Dead Redemption 3 was another prequel.

It also depends if Rockstar Games would want to tell that story or tell something completely new. Personally, I’d love to have some sort of original story for Arthur Morgan, especially if it leads to the Blackwater massacre, before moving into the events of Red Dead Redemption 2.

We’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds. In the meantime, we’ll look forward to the release of GTA VI, expected to arrive in late 2025.