Why Red Dead 2 Fans Think There’s Still Hope For A Remaster This Year

It’s been about seven years since Red Dead Redemption 2 was released, and players still can’t get Rockstar Games’ open-world Western epic out of their heads. And while the game runs just fine on modern machines (thanks to backwards compatibility!), it hasn’t stopped a vocal part of the fan base from demanding a remaster of some kind. Well, the movement may have received yet another reason to believe those wishes may come true.

Over the weekend, a Twitter user noticed that the Steam page game description for Red Dead Redemption 2 changed for the first time in six years. For years, the game’s description started with an outline of all of the accolades it earned back in 2018, a smart way to entice new players. Now, the game has moved that portion of its description down below the summary. The opening mention of the game’s online mode, Red Dead Online, has also been moved lower within the description.

In my opinion, the change itself is small potatoes. The description change could be as simple as Rockstar wanting to lead with the actual contents of the game instead of a bunch of seven-year-old accolades. However, it is something many are clinging to as proof because the rumor mill around the elusive remaster continues to churn.

For one, prominent leaker NateTheHate once again stood by his claim that the remasters are ready to be released. Shortly after fans noticed the Steam page change, he took to Twitter over the weekend to reiterate that this new version of Red Dead Redemption 2 does “exist,” though he has no idea when Rockstar will release it. He elaborated that the remasters would likely come before the new year, as the developer will likely want to shift all of its marketing focus on Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2026.

NateTheHate first claimed that the remaster existed back in June, right before Summer Games Fest. Then, he suggested that the game was coming to Switch 2, and would launch alongside a major update for the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Gaming publications GameReactor and Nintenduo also reported the same thing back in May. The update would allow the last-gen game to leverage modern hardware to produce smoother framerates and higher fidelity graphics.

I can’t imagine these improvements would make this already stunning game any better. As someone who still loads up Red Dead Redemption 2 all these years later on a regular basis, the game is still just as impressive in the visuals department as it was in 2018. However, if the improved version of the game is rolled out as a free update, then I’d gladly welcome this as an appreciative bonus for long-time fans.

Rockstar does seem interested in preserving its older games ahead of GTA 6. A year ago, the first Red Dead Redemption was released on PC for the very first time. Just earlier this year, Rockstar dropped a major update for the PC version of Grand Theft Auto 5, adding graphical feature parity with the current-gen console versions. This Red Dead 2 remaster would essentially be the GTA 5 PC update in reverse, as PC players have been enjoying improved framerates and visuals since it was released on the platform in 2019.

As for the rumored Switch 2, I’m all for it. The console already has a strong library thanks to the Switch 1. Adding one of Rockstar’s finest games to the list would be a win for every person who owns one. And considering Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has already sung the Nintendo handheld its praises, it seems more likely with every passing day.

Until something official appears, the next game from Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto 6, is set to release in May 2026. The game has been 12-plus years in the making and is expected to be the most successful game launch in history.