Back in 2010, Rockstar released a little game called Red Dead Redemption. It was the sequel to a third-person action game that barely anyone had ever played — but, instead of simply building another generic action game, Rockstar touted Red Dead Redemption as the most ambitious open-world Western in the history of gaming.

Red Dead Redemption did not disappoint. The game was a massive success (especially for an IP that few had previously paid attention to), and a sequel seemed like an inevitability ... but, sadly, it never came. Unlike Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption was apparently a one-time thing. Games like Max Payne 3 and Grand Theft Auto V came and went, and there was no news about any sort of follow-up to Rockstar's fantastic take on the Old West.

Finally, after six long years of waiting, that may change: while it's far from an official confirmation, an ex-Rockstar developer has claimed that the studio is currently developing a Red Dead Redemption sequel, and that it could be ready for launch as early as 2017.

Gaming website FragHero reportedly received an anonymous email from an ex-Rockstar developer, who claimed that Red Dead Redemption 2: Legends of the West would be hitting current-gen consoles in 2017. Given how popular the last game still is, and how often Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar's parent company) has talked about a possible follow-up, it's not too crazy to think that a Red Dead sequel is finally happening ... but it's important to take this news with a pretty big grain of salt.

While the information that FragHero received seems legitimate, there's still the possibility that this "ex-developer" is just another hoax. Gamers have gone to ridiculous lengths to try and fool people into believing a game is real — faking an email isn't all that tough in comparison. As with any and all rumors, until Take-Two Interactive or Rockstar themselves make a statement (don't count on it), nothing about a Red Dead Redemption sequel has been officially confirmed.

Don't let that get you down, though: Take-Two Interactive has already talked about its big plans for this year's E3, so there's still a chance that Red Dead Redemption 2 will finally make its debut when E3 2016 starts this June.