Red Dead Redemption Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary

Today marks both the birthday and third major milestone of the original Red Dead Redemption. Released on May 18, 2010, for PS3 and Xbox 360, the game followed Red Dead Revolver and continued the franchise in a new direction.

The project marked the beginning of a more serious tone for the series, which originally debuted as a grotesque, adventurous western. Rockstar Games kept some satirical elements, while telling a grounded and emotional story about the decline of the Wild West and the fate of an aging outlaw who can’t find peace. That same formula—refined and expanded—would later serve as the foundation for Red Dead Redemption 2, released eight years later.

The title was widely acclaimed by both critics and players. It holds an impressive 95 rating on Metacritic and has won numerous awards, including Game Critics Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards, and the prestigious Game of the Year title at the Video Game Awards.

Recently, Red Dead Redemption found new life with a long-awaited PC port that launched in October 2024—14 years after the original release. Now, a broader audience can experience the once-console-exclusive with enhanced visuals and finally discover how Dutch van der Linde’s gang story comes to a close. Our full review is available here.