RUMOR: Red Dead Redemption leaked Switch files indicate the port was once a 'remaster'

Red Dead Redemption was a surprise drop on Switch just a few days ago, and already people are digging into the game’s source code in search of secrets. One of those secrets comes courtesy of @NationalPepper on Twitter, who uncovered multiple references to the game executable being named “rdrremaster.exe”.

As it was released, the Switch version of Red Dead Redemption is a port, nearly identical to the original version. However, the internal name “RDR Remaster” seems to indicate that there was something bigger planned initially. NationalPepper speculates that Rockstar might have set out to create an enhanced version of Red Dead Redemption at first, but changed their minds, possibly as a result of the vocal backlash to the troubled Grand Theft Auto Trilogy release.

Could an updated version of Red Dead Redemption featuring sharper graphics or other enhancements have been in the works? It’s possible that the ‘rdrremaster’ name was just a placeholder, or just a name used without any larger meaning.

Either way, the version that’s available is what we got, and it’s your only option if you want to experience Rockstar’s wild west adventure on Switch. We’ll have to wait and see if any more juicy details emerge from the game’s files in the future.