Grand Theft Auto fans will likely have been waiting for GTA 6 for over a decade by the time it comes out, and those looking forward to Red Dead Redemption 3 might be faced with a similarly long wait. Rushing the development of a game can lead to avoidable bugs and quality issues. However, too long of a wait for the release of a game can leave players annoyed or lead to a loss of interest.
The third entry in the Red Dead series, Red Dead Redemption 2, was released eight years after Red Dead Redemption, and five years after GTA 5. Now, leaks regarding GTA 6 have been confirmed by Rockstar, but there hasn't been any potential release dates included in the information leaked. However, given the more recent pattern of Rockstar releasing either a Red Dead or a GTA title every five or so years, Red Dead Redemption 3 would be unlikely to release for another seven or eight more years based on the speculation of GTA 6 coming in either 2023 or 2024.
Although Red Dead Redemption players had to wait eight years to play RDR2, the game was critically acclaimed. Rockstar delivered an expansive, open-world map for the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan, whose way of life is in decline as the country continues growing and developing. RDR2 included incredible detail that fleshed out the game, including the dynamic weather system, mini-games, and requiring Arthur to eat and drink. In order to craft this gaming experience, some Rockstar developers logged 100-hour weeks working on RDR2, just one example of the harmful crunch that plagues the game development industry.
Red Dead Redemption 3's Release Might Be Close To 2030
Looking at the time between each release of the Red Dead and GTA series, it would make sense for RDR3 to be released around the end of the decade. However, the idea of being a decade older for the release of RDR3 might be the scariest part of the release date. Rockstar has, as expected, been quiet about RDR3, and it's uncertain when development for the next Red Dead started, or if it has even begun at all. Additionally, due to the recent leaks, the timetables for development could be affected for both GTA 6 and RDR3 given the criticism Rockstar received over the leaked footage.
In 2018, Kotaku exposed the crunch culture at Rockstar, and the company claims to have made improvements since then. In a follow-up piece also from Kotaku published in 2020, it's mentioned that Rockstar is working on creating sustainable development schedules and improving communication so that a crunch time before launch is unnecessary. Exactly how these changes will affect the release dates for games isn't clear, but it's likely that players will be waiting a while longer for Red Dead Redemption 3, which has not yet been announced as being in development.