Ever since Rockstar confirmed that Red Dead Redemption 2 would launch this fall, fans have been patiently, but eagerly awaiting a precise release date. With summer being the only season separating us from that vague launch date, we may have to be patient for another year. According to a blog post on Rockstar's website, the game's launch has been pushed back until Spring 2018.

Apparently, the developers need the extra time to put the final polish on the game.

"This outlaw epic set across the vast and unforgiving American heartland will be the first Rockstar game created from the ground up for the latest generation of console hardware, and some extra time is necessary to ensure that we can deliver the best experience possible for our fans."

As much as the studio would like to release the game when promised, it feels that it would be doing fans a disservice by not taking the extra time the developers feel it needs. If Red Dead Redemption 2 ends up being even half as epic as the original, it will be worth the wait.

While they did not release any further details on the plot or characters, they did throw us some bones in the way of screenshots. As you can see, the game already looks stunning. If the extra time can be used to ensure that the game plays as well as it looks, then it will be time well spent.

Rockstar has been very tight-lipped with any details regarding the project. No leaks have been reported and all information about the story or gameplay has been pure speculation. That said, some possibilities that have been suggested sound intriguing and recapping them here will allow me to show you some more of those awesome screenshots.

Leading up to the announcement trailer, quite a bit of speculation on what the game would be called was circulating. There were even supposed leaks that the title would be Red Dead Revolution or Red Dead Revenge. However, according to Rockstar's website and all promotional material officially released, the game is called Red Dead Redemption 2. Now this could just be its working title, and Rockstar could be just holding off on revealing the actual name, but we will have to wait and see.

Another rumor was that it would be multiplayer or even massively multiplayer. This speculation is based partly on the fact that most of the promotional material shows a gang of seven outlaws. The other part of this rumor is based on the growing trend of incorporating multiplayer modes into shooter games. Assuming the final release is multiplayer, one would likely be able to form up in gangs and conduct robberies and other missions together. It would probably be similar to Rockstar's other AAA title Grand Theft Auto V's multiplayer mode.

Another thing that has been suggested based on the seven-member gang seen in the promos is that players will get to choose to play one of seven playable characters. This idea seems a bit further misplaced than the multiplayer mode in that it would involve much more storytelling than just having one or maybe two playable characters. The only way this rumor seems conceivable is if the characters were not so much characters as they are skins.

Whatever the final game ends up being, we can expect something that will likely make us forget about the extra wait. Rockstar has proven with the GTA series that it tends to improve the franchise with each iteration. There is no reason to suspect that it will not take the same care with Red Dead Redemption 2.