Rockstar Games revisited its rendition of the American Old West with the 2018 release of Red Dead Redemption 2. The prequel put players in the boots of gunslinger Arthur Morgan, a loyal ally of Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston. Both outlaws are members of the Van der Linde gang, a band of misfits that gets both cowboys wrapped up in serious trouble that seamlessly leads into John's adventure in the original game. But when does Red Dead Redemption take place in this timeline?

Both titles are set during the American frontier's dying embers at the turn of the 20th century. Major cities - like RDR2's Saint Denis - are beginning to flourish, which brings the spread of law and order throughout lands John and Arthur had long been ransacking to make a living. The outlaw's era is coming to an end, and career criminals with a family are stuck between making an honest living and dealing with the ghosts of their past - a dichotomy that results in the tragic narrative arc of John and Arthur throughout the series.

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[Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2.]

Red Dead Redemption kicks off in the year 1911. John has tried to leave behind his life of crime, but his change of heart doesn't last long. His wife, Abigail, and son, Jack, are taken hostage by government agents, who force John to hunt down the remaining members of the Van der Linde gang to free them.

John Marston wielding a gun in red dead redemption

The imposed adventure lasts less than a year and leads to John's demise, in the end. A government agent betrays the former outlaw and leads a small army to John's ranch to execute him, even after his help tracking down the Van der Linde gang. Abigail and Jack bury him the same year the game started, but Red Dead Redemption doesn't end there.

Three years later, in 1914, Abigail also dies from unknown causes, and Jack buries his mother next to John's grave. He then goes to exact revenge on the government agent who double-crossed his father. Still, Red Dead Redemption is primarily set within 1911, which is a stark difference compared to RDR2's lengthy plot.

RDR2 beings in 1899 and ends in 1907, four years before the events of Red Dead Redemption. In the end, RDR2 antagonist Micah Bell betrays the Van der Linde gang and sets them up for an ambush, which forces the crew to split up. Arthur is then attacked by Micah and is either executed or left for dead, depending on the ending players receive.

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Red Dead Redemption 2 players then take control of John in 1907 and track down Micah to get revenge. John marries Abigail and begins a new life as a rancher. The game's final scene ends with the government agents spying on John's new home, foreshadowing the tragedy that unfolds in Red Dead Redemption.

Next: RDR2: Arthur Morgan's Life Before Dutch & The Gang