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.
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