There’s a Grand Theft Auto Easter egg clearly planted in the Red Dead Redemption 2 chapter which takes the gang to Guarma, and it can be easily missed if gamers aren’t paying close attention. Given how this reference ties the two Rockstar Game franchises together, however, it’s one Red Dead Redemption 2 Easter egg players will want to make sure they look out for.
Guarma is a fictional island in Red Dead Redemption 2. Towards the end of Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur, Dutch, and several other Van der Linde gang members get washed ashore on Guarma after trying to escape a heist-gone-wrong. Even though players can’t visit in as part of RDR2's open world map once they’re done the story mission, they still spend a significant chunk of time in combat on the island while trying to get Arthur and his comrades back to America.
While trying to evade more trouble, Dutch, as well as several of the gang members, give off aliases so as not to give away their true identities. But it’s the name that Dutch uses that has significance: Aiden O’Malley. This is a clear reference to a character from the Grand Theft Auto universe, one players encountered during the events of GTA 4.
Who Is Aiden O’Malley In Grand Theft Auto IV?
Fans of Grand Theft Auto may recognize that this name belongs to a minor character from GTA IV. In Grand Theft Auto 4, Aiden O’Malley is an inmate that’s been locked behind bars after committing a string of robberies. In that game, he’s a known accomplice and friend of McReary brothers as well as Bucky Sligo. As Niko Bellic, players break Aiden out of prison with Packie and flee from a police escort that’s intent on taking him back to jail after he provided the cops with damning testimony. Even though the McReary brothers ordered Aiden to be freed, it was ultimately so they could extract their own vengeance on him away from the eyes of the police, and Niko eventually kills Aiden after being prompted to do so by Packie.
There’s no reason to suggest that the reference to Aiden O’Malley in Red Dead Redemption 2 is any more than a clever Easter egg. In GTA IV, Aiden would have been born in the 50's or 60's, long after the events of RDR2 occurred. Aiden was also an Irish-American, who spent the earlier portion of his life living between Ireland and Britain, so he appears to have no direct connection to Guarma or other events in the Red Dead Redemption franchise. Nevertheless, Rockstar’s decision to incorporate this tribute to GTA4’s Aiden in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a nice touch, and one which only serves to show Rockstar's attention to detail and fan service.