5 Red Dead Redemption 3 Storylines Rockstar Can't Afford to Ignore

Red Dead Redemption 3 is probably years away, if it ever happens, but let me be delusional for a minute because the possibilities are too good not to talk about. If Rockstar does ride back into the frontier, here are five storylines that would actually be worth the trouble — and yeah, a couple of these are a little wild, but that is half the fun.

1. Jack Marston after RDR1

   We leave Jack at the end of Red Dead Redemption after he hunts down Edgar Ross and avenges his father, John. Then the curtain basically drops. There is a ton of room there. The game ends in 1914, the same year World War I kicks off, which opens the door for a more modern take on Red Dead than we are used to. One angle fans love: Jack getting pulled into the war effort and trying to figure out who he is beyond revenge, as the old West fully gives way to the new world.

2. Isaac Morgan might not be as gone as we think

   In Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur talks about Eliza and their son, Isaac Morgan, being killed. The detail that sticks out: he only ever saw their graves, not their bodies. Is that nothing? Maybe. Is it the kind of small, mysterious gap Rockstar loves to exploit? Absolutely. If Isaac faked his death to escape the danger of Arthur's outlaw life, he could return as a complicated foil later on — the way Jack mirrors John in the first game. It is a soap-opera move, sure, but it tracks emotionally and would add a fresh dynamic.

3. Dutch and Hosea: the origin story

   This is one of the most requested ideas for a reason. Set it in the 1870s and let us watch Dutch and Hosea build the Van der Linde gang from nothing. Two leads, early heists, and a clearer look at their partnership before everything curdles. You could follow Arthur getting recruited, then fold in how the rest of the crew came aboard — Miss Grimshaw, John Marston, and the whole ragtag lineup — and point the ending straight into Red Dead Redemption 2. If Rockstar wants a core narrative that writes itself, this is it.

4. Sadie Adler heads south

   We never get a confirmed fate for Sadie after RDR2. During the 'American Venom' mission, she talks about heading to South America, and that thread is just sitting there. Picture a new map built around her bounty hunting through corrupt towns and chaotic borders, with uneasy alliances and a heavy dose of grief driving her forward. She is one of the best characters the series has, and she is not exactly the retire-on-a-porch type.

5. Flip the script: play as a Pinkerton

   The Pinkertons are the big bad shadow over both games. So what if Rockstar put you in their shoes for once? A young agent in The Agency tracking outlaws would twist the usual perspective in a fun way. Rockstar has already done detective work with L.A. Noire — very different vibe, obviously, but the experience is there to build something sharp and tense from the other side of the law.

For context, Red Dead Redemption 2 launched on October 26, 2018 from Rockstar Games, and you can play it on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. So yeah, it has been a minute.

What would you want out of RDR3 if Rockstar saddles up again? Drop your best theories below — serious pitches and unhinged wishlists both welcome.