GTA 5 Theory: Red Dead Redemption 2 Time Travel Connection Explained

Francis Sinclair, subject of one of the strangest quests in all of Red Dead Redemption 2, may connect Grand Theft Auto 5 to Rockstar's Old Western franchise. A few Red Dead and GTA Easter eggs over the years have suggested the two might take place in the same universe, but the time-traveling NPC seems to be the strongest evidence fans have found so far.

One of the most interesting of Red Dead Redemption 2's lingering questions regards Francis, whom the player can find as part of the Stranger side-mission "Geology for Beginners." Clad in a somewhat anachronistic sweater and slacks, Francis speaks in a Transatlantic accent, a real-world affectation popularized at least thirty years after the events of Red Dead Redemption 2. He tasks the player with finding 10 mysterious rock carvings. When the player returns to Francis' cabin after finding all ten, Francis is gone, leaving behind drawings that appear to show him time-traveling to ancient Egypt and modern America. A woman then walks into the cabin, holding a baby who shares Francis' name, birth mark, and hair color.