Creating a rich, story-driven open world like Red Dead Redemption 2 took Rockstar Games nearly eight years of development. The main story and key side missions alone span over 2,000 pages of script—not including Arthur Morgan’s romance arcs, five hours of cut content, or over 80 pages of ambient pedestrian dialogue. But despite the game’s popularity, there are still behind-the-scenes stories that even hardcore fans may not know. Here are 10 of the most interesting facts about Red Dead Redemption 2:
10. The Game Was Almost Cancelled
When Rockstar was developing the original Red Dead Redemption, they didn’t anticipate the massive fan and critical reception it would receive. In fact, Arthur Morgan wasn’t even mentioned in the first game, as there were no concrete plans for a sequel at the time. But the 2010 release sold over 5 million copies in its first three weeks, becoming one of the year’s best-sellers.
When Red Dead Redemption 2 launched in 2018, it earned $725 million in just three days.
9. The Actor Behind Uncle Passed Away During Development
That beloved line—“Uncle’s got back pain”—hits a bit differently when you know the truth. John O’Creagh, the motion capture and face actor for Uncle, sadly passed away from a blood clot during the game’s production. Rockstar had to remove most of his voice lines from the final game, though some remain hidden in the files.
The only line left in the final build is Uncle’s singing during the Beecher’s Hope farm celebration with John and Charles. O’Creagh also acted in series like Orange Is the New Black, The Knick, Master of None, and Frank and Ernie.
8. Uncle’s Voice Was Recast by James McBride
After O’Creagh’s death, Rockstar recast Uncle’s voice with James McBride, marking his first-ever video game role. McBride had previously played small roles in Arrest & Trial, Blindspot, and The Good Fight. Interestingly, he was only one year younger than O’Creagh—66 years old when he joined Rockstar.
7. Rockstar Honored John O’Creagh in the Game
To honor the late actor, Rockstar named a landmark in the game after him. O’Creagh’s Run, a scenic lake in the Grizzlies East area of Ambarino, is named in his memory. In addition, a secret treasure can be found there in Red Dead Online, serving as a touching in-game tribute and valuable reward for players.
6. Roger Clark Didn’t Know He Was Auditioning for Arthur Morgan
Roger Clark, the actor behind Arthur Morgan, admitted in an interview with VG247 that he had no idea he was auditioning for a lead role. He didn’t know anything about the game—until Rockstar asked him to wear real cowboy boots. Clark said, “I didn’t know much about it, but I had a good feeling. You never really know how auditions go—unless they’re terrible.”
5. Roger Clark Also Played… a Bear?
If you completed Arthur’s side story with Mary Linton, you’ll remember the emotional scene at his grave. Interestingly, Julie Jesneck, Mary’s mocap actress, wasn’t available during that scene—so Roger Clark himself stepped in to act it out.
Even stranger? Clark also did mocap for a random brown bear encounter in the game. Yes, the actor behind Arthur also played a bear!
4. Developers Worked 100-Hour Weeks at Times
To bring the Van der Linde gang to life, some Rockstar developers worked over 100 hours a week during certain crunch periods. Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser told Vulture that these extreme hours happened about three times per year, not constantly. Still, the revelation sparked intense backlash and debate over industry crunch culture.
3. Over 2,000 People Worked on the Game
By 2010, Rockstar had decided to bring all its studios together into a massive team of more than 2,000 developers. This included writers, designers, voice actors, and mocap artists. According to Dan Houser, the printed scripts for the story, side quests, and NPC interactions stacked over 2.5 meters tall—a physical testament to the game’s size and scope.
2. The Real Pinkertons Sued Rockstar
The Pinkerton Detective Agency, a real-life historical organization founded in 1850, actually sued Rockstar for portraying their agents as villains in the game. The lawsuit was filed by their parent company, Securitas AB, citing defamation.
Rockstar countered that using the name constituted fair use under historical context. Eventually, in April 2019, the lawsuit was dropped, and the two parties reached a settlement.
1. The Actors for Dutch, John, and Bill Rehearsed Together
Benjamin Byron Davis (Dutch), Steve Palmer (Bill), and Rob Wiethoff (John) used to rehearse scenes together off-camera. In an interview with GQ, Davis said he studied both Red Dead Revolver and the first Red Dead Redemption before taking on Dutch again.
The three actors even watched Western plays and shows together, helping them bond and memorize massive amounts of dialogue. “We used to visit each other’s rooms and run lines,” Davis explained.
