Red Dead
Western-themed action-adventure series by Rockstar Games.
Red Dead is a series of Western-themed action-adventure games published by Rockstar Games. The first entry, Red Dead Revolver, was released in May 2004 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The series gained critical and commercial acclaim with Red Dead Redemption (2010) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), the latter generating $725 million in revenue in three days.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Developer
- Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar Games
- Publisher
- Rockstar Games
- First release version
- Red Dead Revolver
- First release date
- May 4, 2004
- Latest release version
- Red Dead Online
- Latest release date
- May 14, 2019
Facts from the source article.
Games
The Red Dead series began in 2004 with Red Dead Revolver, released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Set in the 1880s American Old West, it centers on bounty hunter Red Harlow, who investigates the conspiracy behind his parents' murder and seeks revenge. According to Dan Houser, Revolver exists in a separate universe from the later Redemption games, though a version of its story could still be true given how legends function in the series' world. The second installment, Red Dead Redemption, arrived in 2010 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as a spiritual successor. Set in 1911, during the Old West's decline and the Mexican Revolution, it follows former outlaw John Marston. After the Bureau of Investigation kidnaps his family, John must track down his old gang members to secure their release, finding closure and redemption along the way. Undead Nightmare is a non-canonical expansion for Red Dead Redemption where John searches for a cure to a zombie plague affecting his family. A standalone disc, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Collection, was released in North America on November 22, 2010, and does not require the original game. Both Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare came to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on August 17, 2023, and to Windows on October 29, 2024, developed by Double Eleven. They are scheduled for release on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on December 2, 2025, developed by Double Eleven and Cast Iron Games.
Reception
The Red Dead franchise is best known for its second and third installments, which earned widespread critical praise. Red Dead Redemption holds a 95% average on Metacritic and GameRankings, took home Game of the Year honors from GameSpy and GameSpot, and is often ranked among the greatest video games ever made. Critics highlighted its visuals, music, acting, open world, and narrative. An edition bundling all extra content arrived in October 2011. Red Dead Redemption 2 scored 97% on Metacritic for both consoles, earning acclaim for its deep detail and numerous publication awards. The series began with Red Dead Revolver, which had sold 920,000 copies in North America by July 2010. Red Dead Redemption surpassed that, shipping over 11 million copies by August 2011 and over 15 million by February 2017. Red Dead Redemption 2 became the franchise's biggest commercial success, generating $725 million in three days—the largest opening weekend in entertainment history—and the second-highest-selling launch behind Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V. Within two weeks, it shipped over 17 million units, exceeding its predecessor's lifetime sales. By June 2026, the Red Dead games had shipped nearly 116 million units total, with over 87 million from Redemption 2 alone.
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