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New Hanover is the better fit if you want to explore a state new to the Red Dead series during the main story. New Austin is the better fit if you want to revisit a frontier state from the original Red Dead Redemption and are willing to wait: RDR2.org’s points-of-interest guide says safe story-mode exploration there is available only after completing Chapter 6. Neither state has an official ranking as the better one, and the available sources do not establish a reliable state-by-state size or wildlife comparison.
New Austin vs. New Hanover at a glance
| What matters | New Hanover | New Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Connection to the series | New to the Red Dead series in Red Dead Redemption 2, according to RDR2.org’s map guide. | Returns from the original Red Dead Redemption, according to the same guide. |
| Story-mode timing | Available in the main-story context. The sources do not establish a precise earliest chapter. | Safe story-mode exploration is available only after completing Chapter 6, according to RDR2.org’s points-of-interest guide. |
| Wildlife comparison | No state-specific species count is established. | No state-specific species count is established. |
| Best fit | Players who want to discover a series-new state while progressing through the story. | Players who want a return to the first game’s frontier and a later story-mode destination. |
| Officially declared winner | None. The available sources do not rank the states or establish an objective winner. | |
The practical difference is not a verified map-size advantage or a proven difference in wildlife variety. It is the combination of story timing and series history: New Hanover is the new-to-the-series option in the main-story setting, while New Austin is the returning region whose safe story exploration comes later.
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What makes the states different in the series
Red Dead Redemption 2’s map spans five fictional states. RDR2.org’s map guide identifies New Hanover, Ambarino, and Lemoyne as new to the series, while New Austin and West Elizabeth return from the original Red Dead Redemption. That distinction gives the two states different appeal even before considering when you can visit them.
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If you are playing the series for the first time, New Hanover offers a setting that was not part of the original Red Dead Redemption, as described by the map guide. It is therefore the clearer choice for someone asking which state feels new within the series’ fictional map. The guide does not establish that every part of the state is unfamiliar in tone or design; the supported distinction is that the state itself was introduced in Red Dead Redemption 2.
#1 Best Overall
- From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption
- The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created
- Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
- Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
- Interact with every character in the world with more than just your gun;Engage in conversation with people you meet. Your actions influence Arthur's honour;Horses are a cowboy's best friend, both transport and personal companion;Bond with your horse as you ride together to unlock new abilities
Its main practical advantage is story timing. New Hanover is part of the main-story context, so it fits a playthrough in which you want to explore as the narrative progresses rather than reserve a destination for after the final chapter. The sources do not specify the first chapter in which every area of New Hanover is reachable, so this should not be read as a guarantee that every point of interest is open at the beginning.
New Austin: a return to the first game’s frontier
New Austin has franchise history that New Hanover does not: it returns from the original Red Dead Redemption. That makes it the natural pick if your interest is revisiting a familiar region or seeing how a returning state fits into Red Dead Redemption 2. This is a preference based on the series connection, not evidence that the state is larger, more detailed, or inherently more enjoyable.
Rank #2
- From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption
- The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created. 4K Ultra HD not available on Xbox One or Xbox One S consoles
- Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
- Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
- Interact with every character in the world with more than just your gun
For story-mode players, timing is the substantial trade-off. RDR2.org’s points-of-interest guide says New Austin can be explored safely only after completing Chapter 6. The word “safely” matters: this is a practical guidance claim about exploration, not proof that the map cannot be reached earlier under any circumstances. If your goal is an ordinary, low-friction exploration trip during the main story, plan on the post-Chapter-6 window.
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Which state should you choose?
Choose New Hanover if you want to explore sooner
- You want a state new to the Red Dead series rather than a region returning from the first game.
- You want your exploration to fit into the main-story experience instead of waiting until after Chapter 6.
- You are comparing the states as destinations for a first playthrough and prefer to discover the setting in the story’s normal progression.
This recommendation is about availability and series context. The sources do not establish that New Hanover has more activities, more points of interest, a larger area, or a better landscape than New Austin.
Rank #3
- Get exclusive access to a bank robbery mission
- A collection of exclusive story mode boosts, bonuses and discounts
- Get three weapons Free at gunsmiths
Choose New Austin if the return matters more than timing
- You have played the original Red Dead Redemption and want to revisit a returning state.
- You are comfortable treating New Austin as a later story-mode destination.
- You care more about the connection to the first game than about exploring the state during earlier story progression.
That makes New Austin a strong preference for a later trip, not an objectively superior state. Its return to the series is a meaningful distinction, but the available sources do not support claims that it is better for hunting, crafting, or general exploration than New Hanover.
If you only want the “best” state
There is no official best-state verdict to settle the choice. Decide what “best” means for your playthrough: earlier story access points toward New Hanover; a return to the first game’s frontier points toward New Austin. If neither timing nor series history matters much to you, the sources here are not detailed enough to rank the states by scenery, activities, or total content.
Rank #4
- When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends.
- Experience Marston’s journey across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico as he fights to bury his blood-stained past in the critically acclaimed adventure.
- Also included is Undead Nightmare, the ground-breaking horror story expansion that transforms the world of Red Dead Redemption into an apocalyptic fight for survival against a zombie horde.
- Experience the epic western adventures that defined a generation
How to plan exploration without overreading the map
- Decide whether you are playing story mode. The Chapter 6 guidance concerns safe story-mode exploration in New Austin. It should not be generalized to other modes or treated as a universal access rule for every circumstance.
- For New Hanover, explore within the main-story context. The source material supports its presence in the main story, but not a precise chapter-by-chapter access chart. Use the game’s map and current objectives to determine what is reachable at your point in the story.
- For New Austin, wait until after Chapter 6 for safe story exploration. This follows the timing described in the RDR2.org points-of-interest guide. If you are trying to reach it earlier, the guide’s statement does not promise a safe route or explain exceptions.
- Choose activities based on what you enjoy, not an unsupported state ranking. Red Dead Redemption 2 supports activities such as hunting and crafting across a world with a broad environmental range, but the cited sources do not provide a standardized activity count for either state.
- Use points-of-interest guidance for individual stops. RDR2.org’s guide identifies points of interest in both states, but the existence of listed stops does not establish a complete or directly comparable count of everything to do in each one.
Landscape and wildlife: what can be compared—and what cannot
Rockstar Games described the overall world in its September 24, 2018 wildlife feature: “The diverse habitats and climates of Red Dead Redemption 2 are home to around 200 species of animals, birds and fish, all of which behave and respond to their environment in a unique way.” That is a whole-game figure. It is not a New Austin count, a New Hanover count, or evidence that one state has more wildlife than the other.
PlayStation.Blog’s October 1, 2018 release-era overview describes the game’s environmental range and activities, including plains, mountains, swamps, towns, hunting, and crafting. Those examples characterize the wider game world; they do not assign a particular environment or activity total to either state. A detailed state-by-state comparison of habitats or exploration opportunities therefore cannot be made from these sources without guessing.
Likewise, there is no supported square-mile figure or official state-area comparison here. Treat map-size claims that declare one state larger as unverified unless they come with a clearly stated measurement method and reliable evidence. A visual impression from the map is not the same as a measured playable-area comparison.
Bottom line: New Hanover for the main-story window, New Austin for the return
For most players deciding where to focus during story progression, New Hanover is the practical choice: it is new to the series and belongs to the main-story context. New Austin is the more appealing choice if returning to the original game’s frontier is the priority and you can wait until after Chapter 6 for safe story-mode exploration. Neither choice is a universal winner; the best state depends on whether you value earlier access or the connection to the first game more.
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