There’s an Easy Way to Explore Red Dead Redemption 2’s Guarma (No Mods Required)

Red Dead Redemption 2‘s open world is probably one of the most remarkable in gaming, but the truth is, players get to explore so little of it. Red Dead Redemption 2‘s Mexico can’t be explored without mods or bugs or glitches, while Guarma is as close to Tahiti as Dutch is getting. Guarma, meanwhile, is locked in its story progression, and fans really only get a taste of it.

Many players want more Guarma, and rightfully so. It is a remarkable location in Red Dead Redemption 2, and chances are, it was even a testing ground for the tropical environments of GTA 6. But now, players explore Guarma at large with little to no friction, thanks to a trick so simple that it can even be done on consoles. PC players aren’t the only ones to get this win, then.

How to Freely Explore Guarma in Red Dead 2

The trick is simple enough. Players simply need to get to Guarma in Red Dead Redemption 2‘s main story, and while they are there, they should keep this distinct save on Guarma. Any other gameplay can go to another save file. While in Guarma, players need to play through to the “A Kind and Benevolent Despot” mission—it’s the one where the Van der Linde gang rescues Javier. During this mission, Dutch and Arthur attempt a little sabotage wherein Dutch asks Arthur to wait outside. If players just leave the building, they can jump over a nearby rock and leave the mission area.

As discovered by Reddit user 22ARuncornAvenue, players will not get the auto-fail here. Afterward, players can explore as much of Guarma as they want without failing the mission or being gunned down. And there are plenty of things to see and do that are not typically available in Guarma, with players even able to abuse this glitch to walk back to Red Dead Redemption 2‘s main map. Have fun!

Why You Should Return to Red Dead Redemption 2’s Guarma in 2025/2026

Red Dead 2 is a popular game, no doubt, but many players may be curious as to why this is worth doing in the final month of 2025 or heading into 2026. The answer is simple: GTA 6. GTA 6 will either release in 2026 or get delayed again, but there is a lot it has to offer. One of these is its Vice City/Leonida/Florida setting, with Florida itself being a tropical and swampy location. There are a lot of details GTA 6 has to get right, and Guarma is pretty clearly (if speculatively) Rockstar’s little testing ground for that.

There is a long-standing fan theory that Guarma was a test for Rockstar’s engine, even before GTA 6 was in full development, to test the engine’s capabilities for tropical settings. With an interesting jungle setting, strong water physics, and highly detailed foliage, the fact remains that Guarma is too short to invest all of that in for no reason. Instead, Guarma can exist for narrative reasons (aka Dutch’s grand plans) but also serve as a technical test for future content. That’s never been confirmed, but come on, look at GTA 6‘s graphics and consider Rockstar’s penchant for attention to detail.

Regardless, fans have been devoured by the mystery of Guarma since Red Dead 2‘s launch. And if someone hasn’t explored it through other means, this is an easy way for anyone to test RDR2’s limits.

Source: Reddit

Released

October 26, 2018

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol