As I’m sure you’ve noticed trending across social media today, there’s talk of a Red Dead Redemption remaster or remake being in the works. The source? A curious new entry by South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee.
The database reveals that title “Red Dead Redemption” was rated on 15th June 2023 – the entry is separate to all other Red Dead entries such as the original RDR, plus RDR2, leading cowpokes to board the hype train straight to Blackwater.
Now for context, this isn’t really a “leak”, South Korea’s GRAC is an official ratings board, much like ESRB in the US and PEGI in the EU; it has a reputation across gaming media for being pretty speedy with new ratings, leading to games being been spotted first on the database before they were even announced – an appearance usually indicates an announcement or release is due “soon” according to Kotaku. Most notably, a similar event happened with the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition release back in September 2021, in which a GRAC entry confirmed the existence of the project before a public announcement a month later.
The facts
- GRAC ratings have previously confirmed other games existence before public announcements
- This entry is separate from all other Red Dead related releases, including old bundles such as GOTY Edition
- Classification code includes “NV”, which apparently indicates a console release as PC is usually listed separately with “NP” (according to Gematsu)
- The classification includes the term “body damage”, which is new for this title and only appears in RDR2’s rating (according to Reddit)
- The classification includes a reference to “dead bodies being infected with zombie viruses”, indicating the inclusion of RDR’s DLC Undead Nightmare
So what could it mean? Well above the rest, it’s speculation for the time being. Fans have been gagging on their oatcakes for a modern and accessible way to play this masterpiece for a long time, especially after re-connecting with John and the gang in RDR2. There’s been rumours of a remaster churning in the past, but it has been all quiet on the western front in that regard. So here we are now, and what better way to celebrate just how special this game still is, 13 years on, than a souped up remaster or a full blown remake using RDR2 assets? We’re all giddy at the thought.
The game was removed from Playstation Now, the Sony Cloud service, back at the end of 2022, so presently the only way to play the game is via Xbox backwards compatibility or by dusting off your OG PS3.
Realistically speaking of course, it may not be a remaster or a remake at all, so make sure you fully take that into consideration! There’s opposing opinions that it could be a Switch port given Rockstar’s relationship with Nintendo over recent years. There’s also voices suggesting it could be just a port to last and current gen consoles (without improvements) to increase exposure, though I use the word “just” lightly as this would still be a huge win for the community at large. There’s also other questions coming in all directions, such as; Why is there no platform listed like the other Red Dead titles? Why does the title not include an indicator of a re-release such as “Definitive Edition” or “Remastered”? What about a PC version of RDR? What about RDR2 4K60FPS?
The verdict
Beyond our wants and desires, nothing can be answered factually right now, so lets keep our noses clean. Essentially, this new GRAC rating is legitimate, but it simply seems to indicate that something appears to be happening in the Rockstar kitchen, but until official corroboration, we’re left to chew the fat until the cows come home and we may already be in over our heads with expectation. As always, keep your vibes positive and your thoughts in check, as you never know what’s around the corner. Our hearts are absolutely ready for anything more to come from this legendary series. Join us in our dedicated Red Dead section of GTAForums until then!