Guarma Without Mods: The Clever Route Red Dead Redemption 2 Hides in Plain Sight
PC outlaws can mod their way into Guarma in Red Dead Redemption 2, but console cowboys hit a wall at sea. There’s only one real path to the island on PlayStation and Xbox—no mods, no endless sailing—if you know the trick.
If you ever tried to poke around Guarma in Red Dead Redemption 2 on console and hit an invisible wall (or, you know, invisible snipers), there is a way in — but only during Chapter 5, and only while you are actually on Guarma. PC players can brute-force it with mods; console folks have to get sneaky. Credit where it’s due: Redditor u/22ARuncornAvenue surfaced the method, and it’s simple, quick, and about as Rockstar-weird as it sounds.
The short version
There’s a mission on Guarma where you’re supposed to sabotage a sugar factory and then go help Dutch rescue Javier. If, at a very specific moment, you climb a nearby grey wall and hop over, the game quietly disables those killzone snipers that keep you penned in. The mission waits for you. You get to wander. When you’re done, walk back and carry on like nothing happened.
How to trigger the Guarma glitch (console, no mods)
- Be on Guarma during Chapter 5 — this only works while the story has you there.
- Progress to the set of missions where Javier has been captured and you and Dutch are working toward rescuing him.
- Reach the sequence where you sabotage the sugar factory. Follow Dutch’s lead until he tells you to wait outside.
- While you’re waiting, find the nearby grey wall. Climb it and jump down on the other side.
- That hop is the trigger: the invisible snipers that keep you boxed in go offline, and the mission effectively pauses with Dutch waiting for you to come back.
- Explore Guarma to your heart’s content. When you’re ready to resume the story, return to the sugar factory area and the mission picks up right where you left it.
Important catches (read this before you run off)
Do not fire your gun. Anywhere. At anyone. If you shoot, the game responds by killing Javier off-screen, failing the mission, and booting you into a restart/checkpoint/cancel screen. Choosing any of those options flips the snipers back on and your free roam window slams shut. If you want the island tour, keep the glitch active and your weapon holstered.
Why this works (and why it’s funny)
Guarma is gorgeous and barely used, so Rockstar locks it down with invisible long-range death beams to stop you from sightseeing. Climbing a random grey wall to turn all that off is one of those delightfully absurd video game quirks that feels like you’re sneaking past the stage manager during a scene change.
Bottom line: if you’re on console and you’ve made it to Chapter 5, try this once. Guarma’s worth the detour, and this is your only real shot without mods. If you give it a go, tell me what you found out there between the palms and the sugarcane.