Red Dead Redemption 2 Fan Discovers Real-Life Ancient Axe the Viking Hatchet Was Based On

gamerant.com:

Red Dead Redemption 2 is packed full of details that are still being discovered to this day. Plenty has taken fans by surprise, but the origins behind one particular in-game weapon turns out to be a real-life archeological find.

Many players of Red Dead Redemption 2 will have come across the Viking Hatchet in-game. It's a rare weapon that provides moderate damage with both striking and throwing attacks, and it turns out that there's a real life version of it that it was most likely based on.

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Redditor Ebbedebbe took to the Red Dead Redemption subreddit to share the discovery. They provided side-by-side images of the in-game Viking Hatchet next to a specific real-world Viking axe. The real version of the axe dates back to around 970 A.D., and features the same decorative carvings and etchings as the in-game blade. The only thing missing is the handle, which likely deteriorated long before it was dug up in 1868 in Mammen, Denmark. However, the grooves on the axe blade are still perfect, and it's clear to see they would have been used to attach the blade to the handle in the same way as the Red Dead Redemption 2 hatchet.

There's a lot in Red Dead Redemption 2 that's either taken inspiration from or is directly based upon real-world items and weapons. The in-game catalog is based on Sears and Roebuck catalogs from the same time, and the two look nearly identical. Weapons like the Lancaster Repeater are also based upon the famous real-world Winchester brand. It makes sense, then, that an artist may have looked up this exact axe when looking for a reference to base the Viking Hatchet on.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the find is that in terms of the timeline of