Highlights

  • GTA 6 has the potential to connect the worlds of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption through something more concrete than references and Easter eggs.
  • The previous games in both franchises have hinted at a connection, with Red Dead Redemption potentially existing in the past of GTA's timeline.
  • GTA 6 could feature locations, characters, and items from Red Dead Redemption, allowing players to explore a larger map beyond Vice City.

With GTA 6 finally on the horizon, fans of both the long-established Grand Theft Auto franchise and Red Dead Redemption have a new open-world sandbox to look forward to. When the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer leaked back in December 2023, one day ahead of its scheduled release, it sent fans into a frenzy of speculation and excitement. The first glimpse at Vice City provided plenty to analyze, including exciting new characters, events, and locations from past games. With such a massive open world to explore and play through, it would be fitting if there is some sort of substantial connection to the universe of Red Dead.

Red Dead Redemption 2 was released back in 2018 and quickly became one of the most critically acclaimed games by Rockstar Games. Aside from GTA Online updates and Red DeadOnline content, there has been no major Rockstar game since 2018's Red Dead 2. Five years after Rockstar's last game, and ten years since the last GTA, fans have had a long time to explore every inch of the past game's maps and think about what the next game should feature. Eagle-eyed fans have discovered secrets hidden in each of Rockstar's recent games, including several references that seemingly connect the worlds of GTA and Red Dead. Grand Theft Auto 6 has the opportunity to take this connection even further.

A screenshot of Tommy Vercetti's mansion from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
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How GTA 6 Can Connect Grand Theft Auto And Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption And GTA References Of The Past

There have been numerous Red Dead Redemption references in GTA and vice versa. Some of the most substantial are:

  • Red Dead book by J Marston in GTA 5
  • Kraff descendent Francis Sinclair in RDR 2
  • Madam Nazar fortune-telling machine in GTA Online
  • GTA 5's Sandy Shores has RDR street names
  • Edmund Lowry's revolver in RDR2 and GTA Online

Based on the numerous references, it seems that there is potential for these two franchises to exist in the same universe. Many of the Red Dead Easter Eggs in GTA seem to be there primarily to serve as a small nod to other series, but there is potential for them to be linked. Red Dead Redemption could conceivably have occurred in the past of GTA's timeline. Even though RDR never explicitly mentions Liberty City, Vice City, etc., they could still potentially be out there.

How GTA 6 Can Unite Rockstar's Games

Grand Theft Auto 6 has the opportunity to take years of references and small nods and finally give them some validity. As GTA 6 takes place in a fictional version of the American South, it could conceivably connect to locations from Red Dead Redemption-- possibly even as far as the state of Lemoyne from RDR2, where players can explore the city of San Denis in the modern day. RDR2 featured several states and GTA 6 is expected to be a larger map, so it's possible players could traverse far from Vice City.

Rockstar could also connect the two game franchises with a character that is a direct descendant of someone from RDR. It could be interesting to see how a modern Marston or a descendant of a character like Sadie Adler would fit in a GTA story. At the very least, substantial references such as items, outfits, and gear from the Red Dead series would be cool to have in GTA 6.