The explosive Xbox leak has sent shockwaves throughout the Red Dead Redemption community after a Red Dead Redemption 2 next-gen update was found listed by a Microsoft executive in a planning email.
In an email chain between Microsoft executives dated May 2022 is a list of third-party games earmarked as potential day-and-date Game Pass titles. One of the games mentioned is Red Dead Redemption 2 “D&D for gen9”, which Microsoft expected to come out during the second quarter of its 2023 financial year (October to December 2022).
“Gen9” refers to the ninth generation of consoles, aka the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Rockstar has yet to announce a next-gen update for Red Dead Redemption 2, despite the many calls from fans. IGN has asked Rockstar for comment.
It’s worth noting that even if Microsoft’s listing for this apparent Red Dead Redemption 2 next-gen update was accurate at the time, Rockstar’s plan for the title may have changed. It may have been delayed or even canceled. Rockstar released a PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch port of its predecessor, Red Dead Redemption, in August, and is currently working on Grand Theft Auto 6.
Red Dead Redemption 2 launched in 2018 on PS4 and Xbox One and in 2019 on PC, and is considered by some to be Rockstar’s greatest game. Fans have criticised Rockstar for a lack of meaningful updates in favour of support for GTA Online, but Red Dead Redemption 2 remains hugely popular, selling over 55 million copies to date.
The leaked emails pull the curtain back on the secretive video game industry, and offer a rare look at the behind-the-scenes deals that underpin the first-party machine at Microsoft. They are part of perhaps the most devastating leak in Xbox history, with FTC trial documents revealing Microsoft’s plans for a mid-gen Xbox refresh in 2024, a next-gen hybrid Xbox in 2028, and Bethesda’s release schedule. A leaked email revealed Phil Spencer really wants to buy Nintendo. There’s also word of a potential one-hand Xbox controller.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
