The timeline of Red Dead Redemption 2's story begins in 1899 with Arthur Morgan and ends in 1907 with John Marston. As a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, the game tells the final days of the Van der Linde gang through Arthur’s view. Playing as John in 1907, meanwhile, sets the groundwork for the plot of Red Dead Redemption.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2.]
Red Dead Redemption 2 follows the outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, as he navigates the decline of the Old West. As the law closes in, divides form in the gang that forces Arthur to choose between his morals or loyalty to his father figure, Dutch. While the different RDR2 endings finalize Arthur’s story in the game, a lengthy epilogue then follows where players take control of John Marston.
The majority of Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place through Arthur’s eyes in 1899. Through him, players see much of the game’s world and play through many of the main story events. However, in 1907 during the epilogue, John embarks on important missions and explores new areas as well, eventually settling at his ranch in West Elizabeth with his wife Abigail and son Jack.
RDR2's Messy Blackwater Mission Begins The Story In 1899
The disastrous Blackwater mission sets the events of Red Dead Redemption 2 into motion. While what occurred during that mission is not fully known, the players can hear snippets about it at various points of the game. RDR2's Van der Linde gang leader Dutch and Micah Bell planned to rob a ferry carrying a lot of money, but during the heist, the Pinkertons showed up. This resulted in Dutch shooting an innocent woman, the death of three gang , and driving the rest of the gang into the snowy Ambarino mountains.
During the side quest “Outlaws from the West” Dutch implies that the Pinkertons knew they were coming. Later in Red Dead Redemption 2, Micah is revealed to be giving information to the Pinkertons, so he may have been giving information to them since before the beginning of the game. However, this is never fully ed.
This failed mission is the beginning of the end for the Van der Linde gang. Some can say it is even where Dutch began to lose himself and the start of his bad decisions. It is the reason why the Pinkertons of RDR2 hate the gang and spend the entire game hunting them down.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Timeline - Cold Days & Nights In Colter
Red Dead Redemption 2 begins in the abandoned town of Colter after the disastrous Blackwater mission. The Colter chapter not only introduces protagonist Arthur Morgan but also sets up future internal and external conflicts for the gang. The Colter chapter also shows how desperate the gang is to survive by pitting them against harsh weather and rival gangs.
During the Colter chapter, Arthur and the gang encounter the O’Driscoll gang, first at Sadie Adler's home, where they kill her husband. Dutch takes Sadie in, which is probably one of his last good decisions. In Red Dead Redemption 2's later chapters, Sadie Adler is just as important as Arthur. Dutch also leads the gang against the O’Driscolls later in the chapter when they take their plans to rob a train. Throughout the game, there will be more conflicts between the O’Driscoll and the Van der Linde gang.
The train they decide to rob belongs to Leviticus Cornwall. It is another bad decision Dutch made because Cornwall follows the gang throughout Red Dead Redemption 2 from that point on. With the Pinkertons and Cornwall, the Van der Linde gang is forced to run at every point of the game.
RDR2's Story & Timeline - Traitorous Decisions In Beaver Hollow
The Beaver Hollow chapter is the final chapter for Arthur Morgan and the gang in Red Dead Redemption 2. Dutch’s unhinged personality has been fully revealed; he no longer cares about the of the gang or Arthur as he once claimed. Micah can be considered the catalyst for this change in attitude, but it is a common belief that Dutch would've betrayed Arthur even without Micah.
At this time, most of the gang are dead or gone, and those that remain are divided on who to follow. Dutch leaves John behind to die during a botched heist in Saint Denis, and refuses to rescue Abigail when she is taken by the Pinkertons. When Arthur tells Dutch that Micah was the one who was feeding information to the Pinkertons, Dutch does not seem to care. At this point in Red Dead Redemption 2's story, the gang has been divided, leading to a shootout between themselves with the Pinkertons on their trail.
A decision must be made by the player to determine if Arthur will try to escape with John or go after the money from the Blackwater heist. Once the choice is made, Arthur’s honor level will determine how he dies. But no matter the choice or honor level, this is the final chapter for Arthur in Red Dead Redemption 2.
RDR2's Epilogue Gives Closure (& The Illusion Of A Happy Ending)
Red Dead Redemption 2's epilogue is long and allows players to control John Marston in the year 1907. It has been eight years since the events in Beaver Hollow and Arthur’s death. Meanwhile, the beginning of the first Red Dead Redemption is only four years away.
During Red Dead Redemption 2's epilogue players see John trying to find a place in this world that is not focused on robberies or shootouts. He is trying to be a good husband and father. He buys Beecher Hope for Abigail and Jack. Uncle, Charles, and Sadie show up at points in the epilogue to help John with the ranch and his new life.
But in the end, Charles, John, and Sadie go after Dutch and Micah on Mount Hagen for revenge. John and Dutch never got along in RDR2, but Micah is finally killed with Dutch’s help. Dutch then leaves and is not seen until the events of Red Dead Redemption. On the mountain, John also finds the remains of all the money from the Blackwater mission that set the game into motion. The three split the money and eventually move on. This ending may seem like a happy ending, but it is not. John going after Micah at the end of the Red Dead Redemption 2 epilogue reveals John’s location to the Pinkertons and prepares for the beginning of the first game, which starts in 1911.