Here’s a fun exercise: take someone’s educated guess, report it as confirmation from a reliable source, add specific details they never mentioned, publish it as news, and then watch as dozens of outlets copy your story without checking the original source.
Reece “Kiwi Talkz” Reilly, an industry insider known for his connections to Rockstar developers, just called out multiple publications for doing exactly that. According to articles published over the past week, Reilly “confirmed” that eight Rockstar developers worked on a next-gen upgrade for Red Dead Redemption 2 over recent years, and that the upgrade would arrive in late 2027 to avoid overlapping with GTA 6‘s November 2026 launch.
Problem is, Reilly says he never confirmed any of that. In a post on X/Twitter, Reilly clarified that he was making educated guesses based on limited information. The distinction matters.
Let’s be clear about what Reilly has publicly stated over the past few months. Back in October 2025, he mentioned speaking with developers who worked on RDR2 next-gen. He said the project exists but acknowledged he doesn’t have release dates and that Rockstar “does whatever they want” regarding release schedules.
In January 2026, when fans expressed frustration about the lack of a next-gen upgrade, Reilly responded that he knows “100 percent” that eight developers worked on it. He speculated that Rockstar originally planned to release it earlier, but GTA 6’s repeated delays changed the timeline.
When asked for his best guess on timing, Reilly suggested late 2027, but these are educated guesses from someone with industry connections. They’re not confirmation. They’re not inside information straight from Rockstar’s PR department. They’re informed speculation.
Given that Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold over 79 million copies as of November 2025, it’s only fair to say that it’s quite a popular game, and the demand is there for a next-gen upgrade. Unfortunately, it’s also the same demand that creates an environment where any hint of an upgrade gets amplified into definitive news. The result? Reilly, who was trying to give fans some hope based on his industry knowledge, now has to clarify that he didn’t actually confirm what everyone says he confirmed.
The lesson here is simple. You shouldn’t believe everything you read online. Look for qualifiers like “reportedly,” “allegedly,” or “sources say.” Pay attention to whether an insider is stating facts or making educated guesses. Even when that speculation comes from someone with industry connections, it’s still speculation. And reporting it as anything else is either lazy journalism or deliberately misleading, neither of which helps anyone.
As for whether RDR2 actually gets a next-gen upgrade? We’ll find out when Rockstar decides to tell us. Until then, maybe take those “confirmed by insider” headlines with a healthy dose of skepticism.
In other news that’s actually confirmed but looks like it wasn’t, Rockstar has managed to sneak in an Easter Egg that has gone unnoticed for years until recently. Fans are now desperately scrambling to find out if there’s more to it than a cheeky reference.
