Fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 may remember the dog named Cain. Players could meet the dog after progressing the story far enough to when Dutch and his gang set up camp in Clemens Point. Players who got to see Cain get adopted after appearing in the area fell in love with the digital canine. But while everyone could enjoy seeing Caine in the game, the real-life dog actor that portrayed Caine through motion capture recently passed away.
The in-game dog we meet in Red Dead Redemption 2 was played by the dog Einstein Barnes. Einstein was owned by Jason Barnes, who previously worked at Rockstar Games as an animator when Red Dead Redemption 2 was still in development. Through a post on Instagram, Jason announced the passing of his dog Einstein and gave a brief eulogy about spending time with him outside of developing the game.
“Einstein was truly one of a kind. From the moment we met, we formed a deep bond, and it was clear that we were destined for countless adventures together… You possessed an uncanny intelligence, earning you the name Einstein; even if, at times, the name felt like a joke…”
Because of the work that had gone into bringing Cain to life in Red Dead Redemption 2, Einstein was credited alongside everyone else on the development team in the game’s end credits. The dog originally started helping Jason work on the game’s motion capture after initially doing a fitting for the dog mo-cap suit that Rockstar had.
Barnes spoke with PC Gamer after Einstein’s passing and detailed what it was like back then working with his canine companion. “It started with a few tests and next thing we knew; he was cast as Cain… I got to work with him on set as his trainer which is such a fond memory. We did some clever stage offset and such to get the stunt of Micah kicking him as well as the ones with Micah chasing him off. He was obsessed with lasers so we often used those to get him to run a specific direction.”
Members of Rockstar also took to the comments of Jason’s Instagram post to share memories and kind words. Many loved the dog and appreciated the opportunity to get to work with him during the game’s development. One team member posted a kind message about Einstein how much they enjoyed working together with him. “Einstein was a truly special dog, and I’m very grateful to have gotten to share that special mo-cap time with him, he wore that suit well…”
Sad news to share, our Animation Director's very good boy we showed in a mocap suit back in 2021, Einstein, has passed away.
He was always a joy to have in the office, and we're already missing him greatly. https://t.co/7rp2W7s4CL pic.twitter.com/rxcPDDzqqP
— inile entertainment (@inXile) June 15, 2023
In addition to many other Rockstar employees sharing their condolences, another company expressed theirs over Twitter. InXile Entertainment, the company where Jason is currently the animation director, posted on their official account about the passing of Einstein. “Sad news to share, our Animation Director’s very good boy we showed in a mo-cap suit back in 2021, Einstein, has passed away. He was always a joy to have in the office, and we’re already missing him greatly.”
Do you remember seeing the dog Cain in your own playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2? Share your thoughts and memories down below in the comment section!
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