'Red Dead Redemption 2' release date, news: new leak confirms game will be prequel; playable characters teased

Dataminers have come across interesting details about "Red Dead Redemption 2" that Rockstar Games would like to keep secret this early in its promotion of the game.

New details from a Rockstar employee who is credited for leaking a couple of "Grand Theft Auto Online" updates reveal that "Red Dead Redemption 2" will have three playable characters.

These characters will come from the Dutch gang, but John Marston, the protagonist of the first "Red Dead Redemption" game will not be among them.

This suggests that "Red Dead Redemption 2" will focus on the events before the setting of the original, making it a prequel, as many guessed after the trailer release.

There were also reports about the game being a prequel even before Rockstar revealed it. Either way, if this leak is anything to go by, fans will learn about the story of the Dutch gang in "Red Dead Redemption 2."

Many were hoping that with the way the first game ended, the next-generation John Marston will be the center of the sequel. However, it looks like Rockstar is going a different route.

After all, the "Red Dead Redemption" series being a western shooter, it made sense that they move to a timeline in which such era was prominent. The first game ended around the time the western period is not as dominate.

The same source also revealed that "Red Dead Redemption 2" is indeed getting an online multiplayer mode, as many expected.

However, fans will have to wait for it as Rockstar is not releasing it on the same day as the single-player mode will likely be overshadowed and could lead to online servers crashing.

When exactly the multiplayer mode is coming remains to be seen though. "Red Dead Redemption 2" itself does not even have a release date yet, but is slated for a fall 2017 launch.