Players exploring some of the far-reaching regions of Red Dead Redemption 2 may stumble upon a little town called Tumbleweed. It’s a quaint little town in the northwestern portion of New Austin. For those who have played through Red Dead Redemption 2, the events of the game’s story never really venture far out beyond Tall Trees or Blackwater. Regardless, players can still explore Armadillo, Tumbleweed, and the rest of New Austin anyway. In fact, Tumbleweed is far different in comparison to what it originally looked like in Red Dead Redemption.
Fans of the first game will remember that Tumbleweed was originally abandoned in Red Dead Redemption, a ghost town devoid of any civilization. But upon returning in Red Dead Redemption 2, just four years prior to John Marston’s tale, the town is relatively prosperous and full of life. Numerous factors contributed to the decline of Tumbleweed in between both games, ranging from unfortunate circumstances to perhaps more nefarious reasons. Here’s what happened to Tumbleweed in the time between Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2.
Tumbleweed itself is located in the northwestern portion of New Austin, the first region in Red Dead Redemption. Heading west from Armadillo all leads towards the town nestled atop a ridge in the desert. Players in Red Dead Redemption 2 will find a populated and relatively bustling town, full of plentiful trade and commerce with a particularly loud sheriff in charge. Though in Red Dead Redemption, the town is a dilapidated mess full of old buildings that once housed businesses and families.
The prevailing story that NPCs share with John Marston is that the town was abandoned due to a railroad crossing bypassing the town entirely. This was a common occurrence in the real American West, with famous ghost towns like Bodie, California being a prime example. Sheriff Leigh Johnson talks about how the railroad line that serviced Armadillo undercut Tumbleweed’s business, and forced many families out of the area. This is further bolstered by an article in the Blackwater Ledger, “A Cautionary Tale,” which talks about dwindling business forcing “wagon after wagon” of families leaving livelihoods behind.
Another major deteriorating factor of Tumbleweed was the totalitarian sheriff in charge of law and order in the town. Sheriff Freeman, based on a real lawman in American history, was a controlling and vocally abrasive sheriff focused solely on his obsession with justice. In many ways, he’s a parallel to Dutch’s leadership in Red Dead Redemption 2, enforcing his idealism upon others as a justification for his ruthless actions. His “wartime” regime against the Del Lobos gang that were in that region of New Austin brought constant violence to Tumbleweed. And not just violence towards the gang itself, but potentially the people who lived in Tumbleweed that may have “disobeyed” him.
It’s strongly inferred that Sheriff Freeman took things a little too far and was likely the final straw to force people out of Tumbleweed entirely. In Red Dead Redemption, there is a scrawled message on the pulpit of Tumbleweed’s church that reads “The Devil has got into that beast,” likely referring to Freeman’s deranged sense of justice. That derangement can be witnessed in Red Dead Redemption 2 when a Del Lobos member is executed by Freeman right in front of the jail, without any semblance of trial or justice. Freeman repeatedly states that he is willing to treat members of the town the same as well, so he may have been a huge factor in Tumbleweed’s abandonment as well.
Aside from the real and circumstantial evidence of Tumbleweed’s abandonment, there are some very prominent and creepy rumors surrounding the town as well. In Red Dead Redemption, a newspaper clipping details potential ghost sightings in the abandoned Tumbleweed. Some theorize that it could be the ghosts of Sheriff Freeman’s victims, forced to live out the rest of their days there. But another potentially more chilling theory is that the Strange Man’s curse of Armadillo was somehow transferred to Tumbleweed.
Armadillo in Red Dead Redemption 2 is in far more dire straits compared to the town in Red Dead Redemption. The town is ravaged by an unusual Cholera outbreak that forced many to death. Supposedly, this is due to the curse of the Strange Man in Red Dead Redemption 2, and his dealings with the general store owner Herbert Moon. While many assumed that their deal meant the curse placed on Armadillo by the Strange Man had been lifted, there’s a small possibility that this curse may have been transferred onto Tumbleweed instead. It’s an optimistic theory, but considering the paranormal nature of the Armadillo curse, it wouldn’t be too hare-brained in comparison.
Tumbleweed has frankly just had terrible luck, regardless if that last theory ends up true or not. The railroad bypassing was just the beginning of a slew of misfortunes that ended up destroying Tumbleweed’s prosperity. Much like many of the real American ghost towns, Tumbleweed’s aptly-named township became a graveyard of business that remains in ruins in Red Dead Redemption.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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