Sep 21, 2016 09:52 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

Rockstar Games continues to remain tight lipped regarding the release date of its long awaited sequel to the open world western video game franchise dubbed, "Red Dead Redemption 2," but this hasn't stopped optimistic fans from hazarding a guess about when the purported sequel will hit the store shelves.

If recently surfaced rumors are anything to go by, Rockstar is likely to dub the highly anticipated sequel as "Red Dead 3," contrary to previous reports that indicated the upcoming game will be called "Red Dead Redemption 2."

It can be recalled that the aboriginal entry in the series is named "Red Dead Revolver," and it was followed by the current game, "Red Dead Redemption." Rockstar is said to drop the "Redemption" tagline in favor of brand-new gameplay with a separate protagonist, FabNewz reported.

The speculation stems from a fan-made poster that surfaced on Imgur not too long ago. It was later confirmed to be a mock-up for the purported sequel and was sent to the game developer as a present. The said mockup interestingly features a female protagonist geared with bow and arrow as well as a gun sling over her shoulder. In addition, the game is expected to boast an array of awe-inspiring elements including a much lauded expansive map to be delved into, while still retaining the original one for gamers to visit, PCAdvisor reported.

Moreover, just like the two iterations which separately featured John Marston and Red Harlow, the upcoming sequel is expected to put another character into play.

Much to the dismay of avid gamers, Rockstar has remained mum regarding the existence of the game. In other words, those waiting with bated breath for "RDR 2" are in for a really long wait as the developer hasn't even committed to any conference this year. Rockstar did not make an appearance at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2016), Gamescom trade fair and the recently concluded PlayStation Meeting, dashing avid gamers' hopes.

If rumors proved to be true and Rockstar makes an announcement before 2016 ends, it will take more than a year before the actual game hits the store shelves, iDigitalTimes reported.

Besides, there is a possibility that the developer may miss a 2017 release window, and take the wraps off the new title sometime in 2018 instead.

Citing the vague status of the game, available information should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

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