Red Dead Redemption 2’s Tense Development Was “Behind Schedule,” “Over Budget,” Says Dan Houser

When you think of some of the greatest games released in the past 20 years, Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 inevitably comes to mind. Winner of multiple awards with over 77 million units sold, it’s an all-timer – a permanent fixture of “Greatest Hits” lists, but there’s no denying its turbulent development.

Speaking to Lex Fridman, former lead writer and Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser reflected on the immense pressure that the team was under. “I think with Red Dead 2, we were behind schedule. We were over budget so much that I didn’t want to think about it.

“You’re making a game about a cowboy dying of TB, and the game’s not coming together. Turns out a lot of people doubt you at that moment, you know. It’s not that fun. I think that was a lot of pressure.”

Ultimately, Houser credits his team and the overall material for the success. “I think that the West and all of the themes around it really lend themselves to that. And then the gunplay was fantastic, and the horses were incredible. So I think you had this combination of technical know-how, a very, very strong team, and really strong material.”

Of course, Red Dead Redemption 2’s development also started a strong conversation about crunch in the gaming industry and reportedly influenced Rockstar’s future development practices. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier even reported that the delay to Grand Theft Auto 6 was due to “a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch.”

While the Red Dead franchise is currently on the backburner, rumors have circulated about a potential Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S release. John Marston actor Rob Wiethoff seemingly teased some announcement to that effect before apologizing for misleading people. However, he would later clarify that said announcement, whatever it may be, is apparently still coming, so stay tuned.