"Red Dead Redemption" is an open world action-adventure video game set in the wild, wild west. As one of Rockstar Games' biggest MMO hits, the promise of "Red Dead Redemption 2" drove fans wild with anticipation. Although the game is still slated for release in 2017, multiple gaming stores have already begun showcasing promotional merchandise.

Ever since "Red Dead Redemption 2" was confirmed in October 2016, there's been no shortage of fan speculations, theories, rumors, and 'what we want to see' lists. Unfortunately, Rockstar Games is staying firmly tight-lipped on the specifics. All players really know as fact is that the game itself is really happening, and it's set to be released 2017. No specific release date, either.

However, that doesn't seem to discourage big-name game retailers like Best Buy and GameStop. According to WWG, "Red Dead Redemption 2" promotional items were shipped to them recently - including fold-out cardboard boxes, posters, and official artwork - and these game retailers have already started putting them up. Most images showcase a simple but effective group shot of our mysterious posse walking away from the sunset. Other than that, the posters and images give no further details as to what fans can expect.

International Business Times notes that the images have been given an R18 rating by the Pan European Game Information. This rating means the game is chock-full of "gross violence," or else may contain elements of "specific types of violence." Not really a surprise, given the violence and setting of "Red Dead Redemption." They also posit that most of the materials stated a release of "Autumn 2017" - as opposed to "Fall 2017" - which further suggests they were meant as promotional content for United Kingdom stores.

This isn't the first time a publisher has started hyping their game months before its slated release. A good number of titles have been hyped almost a year before their official release, and the method has so far proven effective. Given that "Red Dead Redemption 2" already has a name for itself and a massive following, we think Rockstar Game's early promotion may be a solid move.