GTA 6 Is Finally Coming But It Might Have Just Cost Us The RDR2 Next-Gen Update

Rockstar Games' long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 is reportedly having a major knock-on effect across the studio, with other projects said to have been delayed or deprioritised as resources are funnelled into the blockbuster release.

Among the most notable casualties could be a next-generation version of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, a project fans have been requesting for years.

Fresh evidence that a next-gen Red Dead Redemption 2 was once actively planned has emerged from newly surfaced court documents connected to Microsoft's legal battle with the US Federal Trade Commission.

These documents, which were meant to remain sealed, reveal internal Xbox discussions about upcoming third-party releases and potential Xbox Game Pass deals, including one tied to Rockstar's acclaimed western epic.

What Happened In The Xbox Leak?

The leak. shared on Rockstar Intel, has reignited speculation about Rockstar's shifting priorities, with many now believing GTA 6's development timeline may have forced the studio to pause or delay enhancements for its existing catalogue. While Rockstar has not publicly commented, the documents suggest Red Dead Redemption 2 next-gen was more than wishful thinking.

The information comes from documents released during the high-profile court battle between Xbox and the FTC over Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Due to an apparent error, several PDFs containing sensitive, unreleased information were made publicly available. One of these files outlined games Microsoft believed were in development and assessed the likelihood of securing them for Xbox Game Pass.

Among the titles listed was Red Dead Redemption 2, specifically referenced as a gen 9 version for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This was not the standard last-gen release that has previously rotated through Game Pass, but a new version designed to take advantage of current-generation hardware.

According to the document, Microsoft believed the next-gen version of RDR2 was targeting a release window in its Q2 FY22, covering October to December 2022. The plan discussed was a day-and-date launch on Xbox Game Pass, meaning the upgraded version would arrive on the service the same day it released commercially.

Game Pass Costs And Why The Deal Looked Unlikely

The same document also outlined the expected financial demands from Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company. Microsoft estimated that Take-Two would ask for between $5.00 (£3.95) million and $10.00 (£7.90) million per month for the game to remain on Game Pass, based on around 10 million hours of playtime.

This figure would have been significantly higher than what Microsoft previously paid to host the last-gen version of Red Dead Redemption 2, which originally launched in 2018. Xbox also explored whether the next-gen version could be extended to PC via Game Pass, potentially using Rockstar account linking, but described this as doubtful.

Ultimately, Microsoft assessed the probability of securing the deal as 'very low', suggesting negotiations may never have progressed far. The email containing this table was dated May 16th 2022, adding further intrigue given the complete silence around the project since then.

Where is next-gen Red Dead Redemption 2 now?

With no official announcement and the projected release window long passed, many fans now believe the next-gen version of Red Dead Redemption 2 has either been delayed indefinitely or quietly cancelled. One theory gaining traction is that GTA 6's expanded development scope has forced Rockstar to reshuffle its internal roadmap.

That idea was supported by comments shared on X by Reece 'Kiwi Talkz' Reilly, who claimed direct knowledge of the project. He said 'I can tell you 100% I know 8 devs that worked on RDR2 next gen. It is a thing but Rockstar do whatever they want to do regarding release dates, maybe GTA 6 dev timelines changed the release schedule for everything.'

The leaked documents also highlight just how valuable the franchise remains. Between 2015 and 2019, Red Dead Redemption ranked 20th among the most engaged franchises on Xbox, with a reported 900 million hours played, 900,000 monthly average users and an average yearly playtime of 231 hours.

For now, fans are left waiting, once again, as Rockstar's focus appears firmly fixed on delivering GTA 6.