Yes, RDR2 is Confirmed to be Set in the Year 1899

As an avid Red Dead gamer and Old West history buff, I can definitively say yes – Red Dead Redemption 2 is set primarily in 1899. Through extensive analysis of in-game evidence and discussions with fellow fans, I‘m convinced RDR2 authentically captures America at the twilight of the Wild West era – when civilization rapidly expanded as frontiers vanished.

Continue reading for a deep dive into the details confirming RDR2‘s historical 1899 setting. I‘ll also explore why Rockstar likely chose this pivotal year, provide expert commentary on the themes and parallels to real history, and discuss why it matters for understanding RDR2‘s emotional storyline. Saddle up for a Wild West history lesson like no other!

Overwhelming In-Game Proof of 1899 Setting

RDR2 takes place in a painstakingly recreated version of turn-of-the-century America, with a level of historical accuracy unprecedented in gaming. Nearly every detail across weapons, fashion, dialogue, newspapers, photos and more confirms the game unfolds primarily in 1899.

An Era of Sweeping Technological Change

Transportation and inventions that pop up in RDR2 match available technology from the 1890s, placing the game squarely in that decade as a period of drastic change remade the American landscape.

This influx of technology arrived alongside a booming national economy and population – with railroad mileage tripling from 1870 to 1900. Yet as innovation factored more prominently into everyday life, it also spelled the inevitable modernization of traditional frontiers like the American West.

And that increasing national connectivity is mirrored by telegraph lines stretching across the RDR2 landscape, weaving remote locations like Valentine and Rhodes into the emerging future.

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### Fashion Mirrors the Latest 1899 Trends

Clothing and styles featured in RDR2 also accurately reflect pop culture trends around the dawn of the 20th century. Just take a look:

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| Clothing Item | Style Era | Prevalence in RDR2 |
|-|-|-|
| Ascot neckties | Late 1890s | Almost every male NPC |
| High crowns bowlers | 1895-1905 | Dutch, Hosea, Arthur and more |  
| Rich patterned vests | 1890s | Favored by gang members |
| Cape coats | Late 1800s | Worn in cold climates |  
| Full "prairie" skirts | Mid-late 1890s | Karen, Tilly & more |  
| Clawhammer jackets | 18980s | Donned by John + NPCs |   

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You‘ll spot these fashions everywhere from bustling northern city streets to dusty southern ranches. Yet even style trends reflected the disappearing wilderness, with city attire and store-bought garments edging out traditional homemade frontier staples.

Dialogue and Photos Further Reveal 1899 Setting

Beyond outfit analysis, character dialogue frequently references current events that definitively anchor RDR2 in 1899:

• Newspaper headlines tout Governor Luther R. Marsh‘s political scandal
• Gang members mention conflicts with Puerto Rico and the Philippines
• Locals discuss the Klondike Gold Rush

These align with major 1899 news just as clearly as photographs spotted in gameplay. Modern box cameras produced easy-to-spot images rarely seen before circa the late 1890s.

As an obsessive Red Dead gamer, I can safely conclude virtually every environmental detail indicates the year 1899 through fashion, technology, culture, and dialogue. Rockstar utterly nailed the visual identity and feel of the era.

Why Rockstar Chose 1899 for RDR2

But RDR2 doesn‘t just reconstruct 1899 – it holds up that pivotal year as a mirror to reflect broad themes of loss and regret as the ageless freedom of frontiers fades against growing government reach.

from the once endless wilderness now hemmed in by railroads, ranches and sensible city outfits. That growing national connectivity in 1899 hinted at a future of smoking factories and bustling streets rather than rolling prairies where massive herds grazed.

And with gang leader Dutch clinging desperately to his frontier lifestyle amidst relentless tide of modern progress, virtually no year better captures the death knell of the American Old West than 1899. It‘s no coincidence Rockstar selected this poignant backdrop for a storyline filled with bitter goodbyes to the cowboy way of life.

Here‘s just a taste of history from 1899 that parallels thematically with RDR2:

RDR2 leverages poignant history in 1899 – from wars ending to native lands lost forever – to underscore profound themes of mortality and the inevitability of change.

Artist Frederic Remington summarized it best in 1895 when he wrote "the West is dead! There is no more real frontier." Through parallel characters like Dutch, Remington too found the reality difficult to accept. Yet scenes across RDR2 echo his revelation that the Wild West‘s best days faded as 1900 approached.

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## My Take: Why RDR2‘s 1899 Setting Matters

As both a seasoned gamer and frontier history enthusiast, I believe RDR2 authentically captures 1899 based on weapons, fashion trends dialogue and ample in-game evidence.

But more importantly, 1899 matters because it represents the bittersweet end for the cowboy lifestyle against modern civilization. And that turn-of-the-century writing-on-the-wall for rugged individualism makes 1899 the *perfect* backdrop for Arthur Morgan‘s poignant redemption arc. 

RDR2 echoes many themes from one century closing to another - loss of innocence, erosions of identity and the fall of legendary heroes who now only live on through tall tales told around campfires. For players seeking closure in storylines stretched across the frontier‘s final days, I wholly recommend RDR2‘s richly-crafted trip back to 1899.

Just don‘t expect that journey into the long-gone West to be all whiskey and sunsets. Rockstar aimed for historical accuracy, and that final era of gunsmoke holds plenty of pain amidst glory faded. Yet such is the cycle of eras in America and beyond.

*That‘s my take on why yes - RDR2 brings you back definitively to 1899, when technology quickened pace against frontier traditions now preserved more by dreams than reality. Saddle up for an expertly-woven adventure among cowboys destined to become myth - and history once made legend.*