Red Dead Redemption 2 is official

Red Dead Redemption 2 will include a “new online multiplayer experience” when it hits next fall, Rockstar Games announced this morning. A trailer for the game goes live Oct. 20.

“Red Dead Redemption 2 will release worldwide in Fall 2017 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems,” according to a news post on Rockstar Games’ website. “An epic tale of life in America’s unforgiving heartland, the game’s vast and atmospheric world will also provide the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience.”

The game will be developed by the creators of Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption, according to the press release.

"With Red Dead Redemption 2, the team is working hard to push forward our vision for interactive entertainment in a truly living world," Sam Houser, founder of Rockstar Games, said in a prepared statement. "We hope to deliver players an epic experience that builds upon everything we’ve learned making games."

The trailer for the game hits 11 a.m. ET on Oct. 20, but a more detailed image of those characters used in yesterday’s teaser can be seen at the bottom of this post.

On Sunday, Rockstar tweeted a picture of its logo centered on a splotchy field of red. No new details have hit beyond the second image, and the company has not responded to requests for comment. We’ll update this story if Rockstar responds.

On Monday, Rockstar tweeted out a second image seemingly tied to Red Dead Redemption, this one showing seven figures silhouetted by an orange sun on a red backdrop.

Last night, it was discovered that Take-Two had registered the domain for Red Dead Online.

Open-world Western action game Red Dead Redemption was initially released in May 2010 to overwhelmingly positive reaction from both fans and critics. The game was built on the RAGE engine and ran on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Some critics have called it the best game to hit those two systems.

In the original title, you play as John Marston, who is forced to take on work from a gang after his wife and son are taken hostage. The game has you playing in a third-person perspective as you ramble through 1911’s Mexico and the western United States.

This summer, Red Dead Redemption received backward compatibility support on the Xbox One. That support included the original title as well as the Undead Nightmare add-on and Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition.

Monday’s tease dominated Twitter feeds and led to a spike in stock prices for Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two. For more on Red Dead Redemption 2, read our theory on why the game will be a prequel.