Dogs play more of a supporting role in Red Dead Redemption 2, but specimens like Cain keep running into you. Its actor is now deceased.
Wait a minute, who was Cain again? Cain is first spotted by Jack at Clemens Point. The dog wanders into the camp and decides to make it his permanent home, much to Jack’s delight. Dutch allows him to keep the dog and even helps him name him Cain.
However, Cain was modeled on a real dog, namely Einstein Barnes, the constant companion of Red Dead animator Jason Barnes. As he now announced via Instagram, Einstein has gone to dog heaven.
“Einstein was truly unique,” wrote Barnes. “From the moment we met, a deep bond was formed and it was clear that we were destined for countless adventures together. Even though our time together has ended, the memory of you will live on forever. Red Dead Redemption 2 may immortalize you as Cain, but it’s the memories we created together that really keep your spirit.The lessons you taught me about loyalty, love and living to the fullest will never be forgotten .”
Barnes found Einstein as a puppy at the animal shelter, took him in and trained him to be a service dog. After moving from Rockstar San Diego to New York, Barnes had the opportunity to bring his dog into the office. His role as Cain was initially just a try-on to test out the canine motion-capture set. Thanks to his training and the fact that all the staff and actors knew him, he was eventually cast to play Cain and also ended up in the game’s credits.
