Red Dead Redemption 2 release date pushed to 2018

Hitch up your horses – the wait for Red Dead Redemption 2 just got longer.

Publisher Rockstar Games announced today the highly anticipated sequel to 2010's Red Dead Redemption will now go on sale in spring 2018.

Red Dead Redemption 2's release date was initially slated for fall 2017, but Rockstar says "the outlaw epic" requires more time as it's being built from the ground up for PS4 and Xbox One.

"... some extra time is necessary to ensure that we deliver the best experience possible for our fans," Rockstar said in a post. "We are very sorry for any disappointment this delay causes, but we are firm believers in delivering a game only when it is ready."

Summer surprise

Gamers won't be left high and dry until next spring, however. Rockstar plans to share more details about Red Dead Redemption 2 this summer and also released new screenshots of the game today.

While E3 2017 doesn't technically happen in the summer, perhaps Rockstar will share a drip of news during the gaming show, which gets off the ground on June 10.

Red Dead Redemption 2 takes places "across the vast and unforgiving American heartland," and appears to follow a gang of seven outlaws.

There's no word if the first Red Dead Redemption's protagonist, John Marston, will make a return, but Rockstar has promised a "brand new online multiplayer experience."

We also don't know if RDR2 will come to PC, though that may be a detail Rockstar is saving for the summer.