There are many credible reports on how to access and download the game early, however, doing so looks to be in violation of the Xbox Live Code of Conduct. Specifically in the section "Don’t pirate or use another's content without permission," the final bullet-point is don't "play a game before it has been authorized for play on the service." Since there is no official word on whether or not backward compatibility is coming to Red Dead Redemption , it's best to assume it hasn't yet been authorized. We've reached out to Microsoft for clarification.

The official Xbox Support Twitter account advises users abide "to what the Code of Conduct says," but are unable to speculate on enforcement actions, as support and enforcement are separate teams. Bottom line: just wait it out.

Red Dead Redemption via Xbox One

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Red Dead Redemption appears to have been leaked as a backwards compatible game for Xbox One.First spotted on NeoGAF , Red Dead Redemption, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 are listed in an Xbox Live user’s game list.Red Dead Redemption is available to those who own the game digitally. However, it does require some navigation to download the game. It should be noted it isn’t clear if the process of downloading the game is a violation of Microsoft’s Terms of Service.Fans of Red Dead Redemption have awaited an announcement for a sequel for some time. Last November, Take-Two Interactive revealed “creating anticipation and demand” as the reasons why games like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto are not annual franchises To date, Red Dead Redemption has sold over 14 million copies . Check out IGN’s review of Red Dead Redemption to see why we called it a “must-play game”.We have reached out to Rockstar Games and will update when we learn more.Meanwhile, be sure to catch up on reviews for the classic original PlayStation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 , the most recent entry of the Tekken series to hit consoles.In related Xbox One backwards compatibility news, a handful of new games were recently made available , including Counter-Strike: GO, Soulcalibur, and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Typically, players must own the game digitally in order to download them but The Witcher 2 is available for free in select regions until February 5.

Michael Martin is a full-time freelance writer with way too many pop culture mash-up t-shirts to count. Follow him on Twitter @Bizarro_Mike