An image of what may be the world map for an upcoming follow-up to Red Dead Redemption was posted on gaming forum NeoGAF Friday. The map was originally posted on the forum by user Mideon, who then took it down shortly after, but not before other users could download and repost it.
After the leak was published, Techradar reported that a source “close to the development” of the game confirmed the image as an authentic and “very recent” internal art document for a Red Dead Redemption prequel, which will take place “just east” of the area seen in 2010 western.
As the report points out, the two maps share some common ground: An area called Blackwater, which sat on the upper-right corner of the Redemption world map and is in the lower-left corner of the leaked image. The map also features numerous “settlements” and camps, which would make sense if the game were a prequel set during the early days of American settlement.
The report also noted that the map features a city called New Bourdeaux, which happens to be the name of the New Orleans-esque setting for an official upcoming Take-Two Interactive property, Mafia III. On the leaked map, New Bourdeaux is part of an area called “Bayou NWA,” suggesting the city also serves as a New Orleans stand-in here.
As with many rumors and reports, it’s worth noting that none of this information has been confirmed or verified by the series’ developer, Rockstar Games, or publisher, Take-Two Interactive. Neither company has officially confirmed the existence of a new “Red Dead” game. That said, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick referred to the series as one of the company’s “permanent” franchises, indicating that the company planned to get around to a sequel sooner or later.
