What Hidden Secrets in RDR2 Have Been Uncovered After 3 Years?
Just when you think there is nothing else to discover in Red Dead Redemption 2, another player comes forward with a new unearthed secret hidden within the much-loved Rockstar title. One player took to Reddit to share their latest discovery which is found in a forest cabin in a small farm in the New Hanover area of the expansive map. The image provided shows what looks to be an inscription etched onto the top of a chest of drawers which reads ‘you want more than you have’.
Additionally, the cheat codes seemingly scattered around the world will reward players with things such as unlimited ammo, god modes and even a code for Arabian horses, which this code seemingly rewards you with. This is just one of many secrets discovered years on from Red Dead Redemption 2’s release.
Moreover, it comes alongside news of Rufus the dog, a godsend feature that makes horse riding even smoother, and even a secret encounter that rewards you with extra dialogue with Arthur’s fellow gang members.
Exploration is key; you may ask what hidden treasures await. For instance, there’s the creepy 7 statues, like a puzzle thingy, where you can get 3 gold bars. Also, for some of you who didn’t know, you can find 1 gold bar in Limpany. In the burned building of the sheriff’s office, under the desk, there’s a box—when you open it, there’s the gold bar.
- Uncover hidden plots and secrets by exploring various unique areas in Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Find rare items like the Antler Knife, Stuffed Gorilla, and more.
- There is a secret stash of money hidden inside the Valentine Hotel in Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Among other things, you’ll need to finish all the stranger missions, find every collectible, hunt every animal and fish, and discover every point of interest.
Exploring New Austin: The Secret Locations Players Are Just Finding
In exploring New Austin within Red Dead Redemption 2, players can discover various hidden locations that provide unique insights and items.
To begin with, to the north-northeast of Armadillo, there is an abandoned campsite. Here, players can find a dead Chinese man named Zhou Yi, who is wearing a Chinese Skull Cap hat. Surrounding him are cacti, and behind the tent, a lockbox contains Herbivore Bait and Valerian Root.
Additionally, one can encounter several hidden elements in the environment. Some locations are camouflaged among the trees, while others necessitate exploration of derelict buildings that have been overcome by the sands of New Austin. Players will find various Easter eggs, such as the two crows, along with unique items like the tiger-striped mustang, legendary animals, and a dinosaur bone, especially around Rio Del Lobo Rock.
Furthermore, the Mescalero area may initially appear typical. However, players will be surprised to discover the ruins of a Native American encampment, which includes burnt-out homes and scattered artifacts.
Ultimate Loot Guide: Best Places to Find Treasures in Red Dead 2
There are 11 treasure stashes hidden across the different regions and locations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This guide will provide a complete walkthrough to solving and finding all treasure stashes, which will often reward you with lucrative Gold Bars.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has 4 Treasure Hunts, and this guide shows all treasure map locations and solutions where to dig up the treasure.
To start the treasure hunt for the Jack Hall Gang, a band of outlaws from yesteryear, you can purchase the first map from Maximo, a treasure hunter you can meet after starting Chapter 2 near Flatneck Station. He will offer to sell you the map for $5. If you decline, you can kill him and take it off of his body.
To locate the first map, head up to the West Grizzles where Chapter 1 of the game took place. Move southeast from the town of Colter to the small Cairn Lake. Enter the Cairn Lake Lodge and look under the bed for a lock box you can loot, which will contain the Poisonous Trail Map 1.
Next, to gain access to the High Stakes treasure maps, you’ll need to complete the Chapter 3 mission ‘The New South’. Once this mission is complete, a treasure hunter NPC will appear randomly on the map. Capture him and steal the map to kickstart the treasure hunt.
As you might expect, you are almost back where this treasure hunt started. The sundial is within sight of the Obelisk. Approach the sundial from the west and examine the rock at the 7 o’clock position. Underneath the rock is the treasure—six gold bars worth $3000 at any fence.
Unraveling RDR2’s Easter Eggs: What Have We Missed?
Locations & References
- Blackwater Aztec Symbols
- Birds Nest Treasure
- Civil War Field Hospital
- Frozen Couple & Panoramic Map
- Stuffed Gorilla
- Poor Joe (Treehouse Hermit)
- UFO Cult (Hani’s Bethel)
- UFO (Mount Shann)
- Well Slave
Special Characters
- Agnes Dowd
- Anders Helgerson
- Armadillo Town Crier
- and more, revealing the depth of character development and story integration.
Historical/Real Life References
- Aberdeem Pig Farm (The Bloody Bender Family, 1871-1872)
- Black Belle (Belle Starr, 1848-1889 & Annie Oakley, 1860-1926)
- the real-life Donner Party referenced in Donner Falls, highlighting how the game weaves actual history into its narrative fabric.
Cultural References
- The Cave Hermit as ‘The Philosopher’, reminiscent of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.
- Tempest Rim & Caliban’s Seat, both possibly named after Shakespeare’s play ‘The Tempest’, showcasing the rich literary influences behind RDR2.
Amusing Easter Eggs
- A Farmer Who Married His Sheep: This can be found on a farm on New Hanover territory just below the letter A on the map. Inside the leftmost barn, you can find a dead man with his pants down and a sheep wearing a pink ribbon. You can get a Gold Wedding Ring upon examining the dead sheep.
- A Woman In A Barrel: At the foot of Donner Falls near Bacchus Bridge, you can find a corpse of a woman in a barrel. It seems she has fallen from the top of the falls. Upon inspection, Arthur will jot this down in his journal. This is believed to reference Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
- Bigfoot/Sasquatch Skeleton: On your way to the top of Mt. Shann to see the UFO sighting easter egg, you will come across a huge skeleton on the mountain trail that is clearly not human. This will also be added to Arthur’s journal. This is a nod to the Bigfoot sighting in Grand Theft Auto V.
- Creepy Perverted Stalker: If you roam southeast of Emerald Station, you’ll meet a creepy guy with a tent and campfire. He will invite you to rest by the campfire. Upon inspecting his tent, you will see several pictures of naked women. He tells you a story of a widow living in a cabin north of Annesburg that he is stalking.
- Dark Ritual Location: Head north-west of Owanjila to find an open area that appears to have been the place of a dark ritual. There are some stones, chalk drawings on the ground, and half a torso on a spike.
- Ghost Train: Late at night, along the tracks running between Lemoyne and New Hanover, you can see a spectral locomotive rumbling along the tracks, just south of the Lemoyne / New Hanover border.
- UFO Cult: Look for instructions left by a cult leader inside an abandoned shack in New Hanover. This easter egg involves the specific steps you need to follow.
Discovering Unseen Cinematics: What New Scenes Await in RDR2?
Unused Characters:
- In the game files, there is an unused Gray family member named Adam. One of his appearances would’ve placed him inside of Caliga Hall’s cut interior alongside other members of the Gray family.
- Males likely intended for Frank Heck’s mission remain in the files.
- There is an unused character named Featherston Chambers who remains in the files.
- Of note, Dutch van der Linde uses a very similar name to this as a pseudonym in the mission ‘The Gilded Cage’ in the final game.
- A cut character named Abe Maclean exists who would’ve served as the owner of Maclean’s House. He has a few cut missions featuring him and his mail order bride.
- There is an unused character known as Nial Whelan who is still in the files. He wears a recolored version of Billy Midnight’s suit and pants in red and grey instead of blue and gold.
- There is an unused character named Dr. Lane Higgins who was leftover in the files alongside his voicelines. He would’ve served as the subject of a cut stranger mission set on Guarma.
- A character known as Leon’s niece would’ve been rescued by Bill and Arthur during a mission in Guarma. Cut dialogue notates that she would’ve been taken off the island. Her dress uses the same model and textures as Mary Linton’s, and she even has a funeral hat that is nearly identical to Mary’s (which is used by Edith Downes in a trailer) except it also features a veil.
- An unused character known as ‘Shack Serial Killer’ would’ve been found at Bayall Edge. Inside, the player would find him chopping up a body with a hatchet and would subsequently throw him in the gator enclosure below. Inside a cooking pot in the shack, a stew featuring human hands could be found.
- There is an unused bear trap encounter character for Valentine.
Unseen Scenes and Cutscenes:
- The dawn after John Marston manages to escape and reunite with his family, Charles Smith locates the dead body of Arthur Morgan and honors him by burying him on a high peak. In the background, an ex-Rockstar dev has detailed an NPC scene from Red Dead Redemption 2 you almost definitely haven’t seen. The interactions take place if you decide not to ambush a moonshine wagon on a bridge.
- In the mission ‘Red Dead Redemption’, there are extended cutscenes that are hidden behind the Coyote and the Buck scenes. John has unused lines for ‘Good, Honest, Snake Oil’, implying he could’ve done that mission originally.
This is the list of content cut from Red Dead Redemption 2 during development.
