Red Dead Redemption 2 is an open-world single and multi-player action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games in 2018. An open-world game is one where the main character (the character we are controlling) can freely explore the virtual world around them (‘free-roam) without completing any objectives. The premise behind the game is that we play as Arthur Morgan, a rough and rugged cowboy outlaw in the Wild-West era. Since there is much to explore, there are also post offices that are mostly found near train stations that can be used to pay off a bounty, purchase train tickers, or send or receive mail. Let’s see ‘RDR2 Post Office Locations And Headquarters’.
RDR2 Post Office Locations And Headquarters
There are 11 post offices, 7 of which are next to train stations. Places where post offices are next to train stations: Valentine, Emerald Station (ranch), Rhodes, Saint-Denis, Annesberg, Riggs, and Wallace stations. The remaining 4 are in Strawberry, Blackwater, Benedict’s point, and Van horn trading point. The latter are insignificant and relatively tiny in size. There are no headquarters in the game.
Specific locations of post offices near train stations
All post offices can be located by their icon on the map. The map can be operated from the pause menu. The following is the description of the various post offices so it’s much easier to locate them in-game.
Valentine
The post office in Valentine is located near the entrance to the town so it is hard to miss. It is the first post office introduced to us in the game and is also the most prominent. It’s next to the pens where several farm animals and a barn are present. It is a yellow building with a grey-brown roof. Many horses are parked outside. A large billboard that reads “Post office” is hanging next to the slanting roof.
Strawberry
It is called the “Strawberry Depot”, which is painted on its front. It is located right next to the Cracked hotel, across the market stalls and butcher, and again at the entrance of Strawberry. It is a much smaller building as compared to the one in Valentine and also very shabby and rough around the edges. It has a dark brown exterior, with benches in the front, which cover the windows.
Rhodes
This is located in the corner of Rhodes town, off to the side surrounded by trees. It resembles the station in Valentine, with the same yellow exterior and grey-brown roof. Although it’s a bit more trapezoidal and wider in shape. It looks like it’s segmented into two parts, one part having a signboard on it that reads “Rhodes Station.” This is one of the most important post offices in the game as a particular plot point in the main story mission revolves around the officer giving us paid information regarding a convoy which Arthur eventually steals from.
Saint-Denis
This one is located in the city of Saint-Denis. It is of particular interest since it has a grey color and has a spire connected to two gables so it looks like a church at first glance. Located next to a factory and in front of a hotel, it is very easy to spot this building, even in a city setting.
Annesberg Station
It is present in the town of Annesburg which is on the far east end of the map. It has many glass windows and has two protruding chimneys from the base of the building. A mixture of a grey and white exterior makes it difficult to spot, however since it’s next to a train station, it can be eventually found with ease.
Riggs Station
The smallest station in the game is right next to a water tank and looks more like a guard outpost than a post office. It has no interior present, minus the brown outpost walls. It is southeast of Strawberry.
Wallace Station
It is located next to the Dakota River, just south of the border with Ambarino. Thus, it is very easy to locate on the map. It resembles a comfy winter cottage, with trees in the front end and train tracks at the back.
Emerald station
Located northeast of Emerald ranch, it is very close to Valentine. This station is just like Riggs, it lacks an exterior however there is a barn-like interior that is separated from the post office itself. One of the first missions in the game takes place here, where Arthur plays poker.
Why go to the post office?
There are three main uses of the post office. Firstly, the player can pay off their bounty from here. A bounty is placed on your head if you commit crimes and are seen by the law, or reported to by eye-witnesses. If you have a bounty on your head, a lawman will open fire or try to arrest you at first sight. Paying bounties can avoid the hassle of having to cover yourself with a mask and bounties add up rather quickly, so it is better to pay them on one’s first offense Secondly, players can utilize the fast travel system through trains. (Only applicable to post offices that are connected with train stations.)
For example, If you want to go from Annesburg to Strawberry, (these two towns being the most distant from each other) you can buy train tickets and skip the process of having to travel long distances manually on your horse or foot. It reduces tediousness in the open-world setting.
Lastly, some quests/missions require that you receive and read a mail which can only be done through the post office. If a player fails to do so, the story won’t progress further and Arthur and his tale will be stuck at one point in time.
To conclude, Red Dead Redemption is an amazing videogame that borderlines real life in its depictions of our world. It contains a fabulous post-office mechanic which allows players to perform certain functions. These are scattered throughout the map and can be easily pinpointed on the map via their icon or their vivid appearance.