Red Dead Redemption 2 release date touted on Amazon for Rockstar western

Red Dead Redemption 2 is officially set for "Spring 2018", but a listing for the anticipated title on Amazon Mexico may have leaked a more precise release date. According to the data, Rockstar Games' epic western will be released on 12 July.

The game's listings on other localised Amazon stores do not include a date and it's not clear why the Mexican site has published the date it has. As always, such reports should be taken with a large pinch of salt.

Rockstar Games hasn't talked publicly about the game since a second trailer was released last September, following its delay from an initial release window in 2017.

The latest trailer revealed lead character Arthur Morgan and the return of the Van der Linde gang referenced in the game's 2010 predecessor, confirming suspicions that Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel.

The original Red Dead Redemption is a critically acclaimed masterpiece and remains one of Rockstar's finest titles, alongside the studio's last game, Grand Theft Auto 5.

GTA 5 was originally released in 2013 for Xbox 360 and PS3, before being re-released on PS4 and Xbox One the following year. That makes Red Dead Redemption 2 Rockstar's first game developed purely for the current console generation.

Announced only for PS4 and Xbox One, no PC version of Red Dead has yet been discussed.

Despite its name, Red Dead Redemption 2 is actually the third game in Rockstar's western series, following its predecessor and PS2 title Red Dead Revolver.

"An epic tale of life in America's unforgiving heartland, the game's vast and atmospheric world will also provide the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience," a description on Rockstar's website reads.

That brand new multiplayer experience will almost certainly be inspired by Grand Theft Auto 5's GTA Online, which has been an enormous money-spinner for Rockstar and parent company TakeTwo.