Red Dead Redemption 2 uses a Rockstar profile directory rather than a simple shared folder of anonymous saves. The profile identity is therefore part of the backup context. For a dependable archive, close the game and launcher, copy the complete profile directory, and label the copy with the Rockstar account and date. If you later restore manually, watch for cloud synchronization that can replace the local files with a different remote revision.
Where Red Dead Redemption 2 stores PC saves
The researched save-location boundary is Windows: %USERPROFILE%DocumentsRockstar GamesRed Dead Redemption 2Profiles<user-id> | Linux / Steam Play: Steam Play: <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/1174180/pfx/. The known file or folder pattern is SRDR3* Story Mode save records. This is the practical starting point because launcher, profile, and storefront context can change which copy is active even when two folders look similar.
Storefront and profile differences
Documented launchers or storefronts: Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam, Epic Games Launcher. Steam/Epic launches still involve Rockstar account/profile services. Back up the Rockstar profile corresponding to the account used by the game. When looking for a missing save, identify the executable/storefront you actually launched and the user/profile that created the progress before copying anything between directories.
Cloud synchronization
Rockstar launcher synchronization can affect local Story Mode files. Let synchronization settle before capturing or restoring a backup. A cloud service should be treated as another copy of the save, not as proof that the local folder is disposable. Before a manual restore, let synchronization finish, make an offline backup, and avoid starting the game while files are being replaced.
What the files represent
Story Mode progress is stored in the Rockstar profile directory. The profile contains save-slot records and related profile files; the directory is a safer backup unit than one guessed filename. The current filename/folder evidence is SRDR3* Story Mode save records. File-extension context: No single extension is sufficient to identify every relevant save record. A location guide does not claim that every file in the directory is safe to edit or that files from another storefront are automatically interchangeable.
If the save is not where expected
If restored saves disappear, compare the active Rockstar account/profile and cloud timestamps. Preserve both the manual backup and current synchronized copy until recovery is complete. Also check redirected Documents folders, Steam Play prefixes, account IDs, and launcher-specific containers where applicable. Preserve every candidate copy before testing a restore so troubleshooting does not destroy the only surviving version.
Verification context: Windows and Steam Play save locations were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage for Red Dead Redemption 2. The Game Hub makes no game-specific editing claim.