Red Dead Redemption 2is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed games of this last generation of consoles, and Rockstar has continued to add to the game throughRed Dead Onlinewith updates and special events. As the amount of DLC produced for the game slows down two years after its release, there is a recent update which may interesting many fans of the franchise.
Recently, models have been found in the game files which suggest thatRed Dead Redemption 2could be addressing one of the biggest requests fans have had since the release of the game: zombies. However, the feature may not be being implemented in the way many fans might have expected or hoped for.
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Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmareis one of the most successful video game DLCs to date. It took the originalRed Dead Redemptionand transformed the game into a zombie apocalypse western. Set in a non-canonical alternate timeline, the game saw John Marston hilariously confronted with modern zombie apocalypse tropes as he tried to find a cure for his wife and son’s zombification, leading to iconic lines like “Jack, be kind to your mother. Abigail, teach the boy right from wrong. Both of you, stop biting chunks out of people.”
The concept forUndead Nightmarewas originally conceived byRockstar developerswho wanted to make a zombie game on the same scale as theGrand Theft Autogames, but after some discussion, it was decided thatRed Dead Redemption’s frontier setting could prove both a more original and more terrifying choice of locale. After all, if there’s anything scarier than trying to escape a horde of rampaging zombies, it’s trying to escape a horde of rampaging zombies on the already hostile Western frontier.
The add-on also transformed theanimals inRed Dead Redemptioninto zombie versions of themselves, as well as adding some spooky new supernatural creatures that wouldn’t have fit into the main game, at least outside of one ofRed Dead Redemption’s famously creepy mysteries. Wolves, bears, and cougars all got zombie versions, and John could even ride each of the horses of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, with each steed having its own supernatural bonus. ReturningRed Deadcharacters like Nastas and Professor Harold MacDougal also fall victim to the zombie plague.
Rockstar set a standard for video game DLC with the originalUndead Nightmare, as well asGTA DLClikeThe Lost and the DamnedandThe Ballad of Gay Tony. This has led many of fans to hope that Rockstar is developing a spiritual successor toUndead NightmareinRed Dead Redemption 2that allows the sequel to experiment with some serious silliness in a low-stakes non-canon adventure.
Recently, those hopes appeared like they might finally be realized, or so it seems. Fifty new models were found in the game files for a newzombie update forRed Dead Redemption2, including 29 new unique male zombie models and 19 female zombie models that led many fans to thinkRed Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare 2might be just around the corner. However, that may not be the case.
The New Zombie Models
The new zombie model variants are all labeled in the game files as part of the “Army of Fear” which makes it likely that they will be used inRed Dead Redemption Online’s Halloween“Fear” event this Fall. Twitter user Muztuber also found audio files related to a “Fear of Us” event that could be coming up and would likely use the new models.
It appears that the zombies are being introduced for a limited Halloween event and not for a sequel toUndead Nightmare. Many of thenew zombie modelswear variants of red robes and talismans around their necks, which could imply that they are linked to some sort of undead cult that could still connect them to theUndead Nightmarezombies. The zombies in the original DLC were found to be caused by a man named Abraham Reyes when he stole an ancient mask from an Aztec tomb, and it is possible the zombie cult or the Army of Fear are in some way related.
However, the red robes could be an indication that theRed Dead Onlineevent will have its own take. The second game hasn’t shied away from its own strange supernatural goings on likethe vampire of Saint Denis, and may attempt to tell a different kind of zombie story this time around.
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Though the zombies will likely be introduced as part of a limited event, the existence of zombie models in-game could still be great news for fans who are hoping thatRockstar will developUndead Nightmare 2. If the models are already in-game, it would make developing the add-on cheaper which could make a possible sequel more likely.
However, the originalUndead Nightmarereleased in October of 2010, just 5 months after the release ofRed Dead Redemptionfor Xbox 360 and PS3, which could mean that if Rockstar was interested in producing more sizable DLC it would have done it nearer to the original release ofRed Dead 2in order to maintain momentum. It’s possible that the existence ofRed Dead Onlineand its relatively stable community has done some of that work for the studio, which could meanRed Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare 2is still on the cards, perhaps in time forthe next generation of consoles.
Some fans will be disappointed to see that the new zombie models are not part ofUndead Nightmare 2, but their existence could still foster hope among those fans still holding out for a sequel to the first game’s horror-themed adventure. WhereRockstar Gamesdecides to go with it remains to be seen, but for now, fans can look forward to a Halloween event which could see the return of some familiar faces, or what’s left of them.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
