The new Red Dead Redemption 2 screens might have a few clues - here's what people have found so far

Rockstar has announced a delay to Red Dead Redemption 2, so here's the mandatory 'boo!'. Now we've got that out of the way, Rockstar has quelled our pouting somewhat by releasing a bunch of new Red Dead Redemption 2 screens to help placate sad fans. Screens that might have some information. Possibly. Regardless of whether they do or not, people have still been investigating every image for clues and it looks like a few things have popped out that have shed some light on what we can expect from the cowboy RPG sequel. 

This might be Red Dead Redemption 2's main hero

This post makes a pretty strong argument that we might have a main character already. Mind you, he's possibly not the the only character as we did see a group of them riding around in the trailer, but he sure seems to be the most prominently-featured cowboy so far. There's a lot of talk about his build - he's a powerful-looking man, so there's some discussion that he could be Dutch van der Linde, the leader of Marston's gang in the last game. It's pretty thin, though. The only evidence seems to be that he's a bit stocky, and there's a ring in another image that has a vaguely 'D' shaped symbol. 

It looks like you can dual wield different weapons

Whoever this guy is, a lot of people have noticed that he's holding two different guns. That suggests we might be able to dual-wield different weapons, like in Max Payne 3. It's hard to tell what the guns are but the suggestions are a Colt SAA and a Smith and Wesson Model 3. They both deal a hell of a lot of damage, and I bet this burly chap is just as likely to smack you over the head with them as he is to pull the trigger. 

We're probably looking at a late 1800's setting

The Colt SAA and a Smith and Wesson Model 3 from above were mostly used between 1873 to 1892, and 1869 to 1915. The telegraph poles and the possibility that the lamps in the trailer are electric rather than gas would also point to a turn-of-the-century setting, maybe continuing on from (or around the same time as), the previous game's ending. 

The trees might suggest at least one Red Dead Redemption 2 location

Lot's of people have noticed the size of the trees. I think the overall opinion is 'really f-ing big.' But what are they? Rockstar has previously mentioned the game would be "an epic tale of life in America's unforgiving heartland." That's relevant because if these are redwoods, as many people have suggested, that would be more towards a California/West Coast direction, which isn't really the 'heartlands'. Of course, give the scale of the game, this could only be one area you visit. 

Could Red Dead Redemption 2 visit Blackwater again? 

In the top left of this screen you can just make out the letters 'B... L... C...' which is obviously part of the way to spelling out Blackwater, a prominent location from the previous game. If that's the case it might well be an earlier period seeing as we previously saw Blackwater in a far more advanced and developed state. 

What do the rings mean, though? 

This is the screen I really want to see broken down. Those rings are very precise symbols - the top looks like a train or a gothic 'B'. If it's a 'B' and that's a woman, might it be Bonnie MacFarlane from RDR? Or if it's a man, Bill Williamson? 

The second ring is some sort of face. Maybe a lion with rubies for eyes? Those glittering red gems surely mean that whoever's decked out in this much jewellery is affluent to say the least, so we could be looking at a businesswoman or a socialite. Whatever these rings mean, they're very prominent so must surely mean something. 

Those hands and sleeve also look too feminine for the big guy in the shots. There was a lot of speculation that the cowboy on the far right below (first seen in the reveal trailer), was a woman. Might that be her? She could be living a double life - a person of considerable reputation during the day, and then masked cowboy when the fancy takes her. How intriguing. 

While we wait to see what else anyone might discover, take a look at everything we definitely know about Red Dead Redemption 2

Leon Hurley
Managing editor for guides

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website. 

Latest in Red Dead
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden says 100-hour games are a "mismatch" to today's reality: "I haven't even opened Red Dead Redemption 2, because I don't have 90 hours"
Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshot showing the silhouette of a man with a cowboy hat on horseback, a glowing sun seen behind him
Red Dead Redemption 2's very own Arthur Morgan says he wishes that he could work with "genius" Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 modder makes "all wagons and horses travel at super sonic speeds," chaos and jumpscares ensue: "It's now a horror game"
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption 2 dev reveals detail "99% of people never saw" that's part of "what makes Rockstar's games so good"
Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar veteran says Red Dead Redemption's PS3 version was "very hard and time-consuming" to make, but it was "easy to write for the 360"
Red Dead Redemption
After 14 years, the original Red Dead Redemption finally hits PC this month, with Undead Nightmare in two
Latest in News
inZOI Character Studio screenshot showing a young woman with short black/pink hair, black cat-like ears, and a black blouse with a bowtie
The creator of upcoming life sim Inzoi says he was "recklessly brave to even think about creating a game of this scale"
Rise of the Ronin
A year after its PS5 launch, Rise of the Ronin debuts on PC to "Mixed" reviews and performance complaints: "Stuttering on a 4090 is just... no"
Rise of the Ronin's photo mode offers some wonderful shots
On the heels of Rise of the Ronin's PC launch, its director says there's a "significant" amount of Japanese Switch gamers: "I am closely watching how this will change with the release of Switch 2"
Stardew Valley Castle Village mod
Stardew Valley Expanded creator is building an "even more ambitious" mod with a whole new city and "dungeons inspired by The Legend of Zelda"
Dino Crisis 2 art showing a young woman and man back-to-back amid tall green grass, both with their weapons drawn
Dino Crisis gets a fresh trademark filing by Capcom, but it might not mean the 26-year-old survival horror franchise will get a new installment like fans expect
Cujo
Netflix is making a brand new adaptation of Cujo, the infamous Stephen King book about a killer dog