WHO THE VAN DER LINDE GANG IS IN RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
The recently released trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 gives us a brief look at some of the key elements that will form the game’s narrative. Aside from introducing us to its protagonist, Arthur Morgan, we also see that Dutch Van Der Linde is making a return, and we learn that both men are in his gang. From the footage seen in the trailer, it’s clear that the plot and gameplay will center around criminal activities acted out under the Van Der Linde gang banner. Knowing who the Van Der Linde gang is will be crucial in understanding the wider lore and story of Red Dead Redemption 2.
The gang operated during the late 1800’s until 1906. Their actions were so notorious that its members were wanted by the authorities in three different states, which we hear referenced in the recent trailer. Members of the gang include Dutch, Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, and Abigail Marston. In the previous Red Dead Redemption, we heard stories that the gang committed murders and robbed banks, and it looks as though the events we saw in the trailer allude to the fact that we’ll be acting out those actions in the upcoming prequel. It is important to know, however, that Dutch’s gang were committed to giving much of their profits to the poor. Think of Dutch as a wild western Robin Hood.
Although Dutch Van Der Linde is the first game’s main antagonist, he and Marston have a close bond, with Dutch credited as taking in and raising both he and Abigail after the two youngsters ran from their orphanage. Dutch built his gang as a family, with himself as the father figure, and it imbued a strong sense of loyalty among his men.
For years, the gang terrorized the West until things became unstuck in 1906. In that year, the Van Der Linde gang botched a robbery; Dutch shot a woman named Heidi McCourt, and the gang was attacked by government agents. They retreated from the shootout, leaving John Marston for dead.
Later, Dutch Van Der Linde’s behavior became increasingly unstable and the gang split up. Bill Williamson left to start his own gang, and Javier Escuella escaped from the government into Mexico, where he later became a hitman. Dutch simply vanished, before making himself known again in 1911 with a new gang formed of Native Americans.
The plot of the first game sees John Marston charged with hunting down his former surviving gang members by the Bureau of Investigation.
That is all you need to know about the history of the Van Der Linde Gang and its relevance to Red Dead Redemption 2. For more on news and information on the game, be sure to check back with Twinfinite.
