Ex-Rockstar Boss Dan Houser Doesn’t Play a Lot of Open-World Games – and Doesn’t Plan to Play GTA 6
Dan Houser, the legendary co-founder of Rockstar Games and creative force behind the Grand Theft Auto series, is preparing to unveil his next projects at Absurd Ventures, his independent studio founded in 2021. After departing Rockstar Games in 2020 amid reported disagreements with his brother Sam Houser, Houser established Absurd Ventures to create a multimedia empire, beginning with two new games currently in development.
The first project is an open-world comedy game, while the second is described as a dystopian sci-fi adventure—marking Houser’s return to game development following his exit from Rockstar. In a recent interview, Houser explained his creative approach, revealing he deliberately avoids playing many open-world games, including GTA 6, to maintain creative independence and prevent influence from competitors’ designs.
“Given that I spend a large amount of time trying to make open-world games, and the rest of my conscious time trying to figure out innovative ways to market them, I don’t need to see what other people are doing,” Houser told Variety. “I’m always trying to think about new ways of doing it, not sit there in some kind of comparison of what I was doing.”
This philosophy reflects Houser’s commitment to innovation over imitation, prioritizing original design choices rather than benchmarking against existing titles. The approach suggests Absurd Ventures aims to differentiate itself in the crowded open-world genre through unique creative vision.
While specific release dates and additional details remain undisclosed, the announcement marks a significant moment for Houser’s post-Rockstar career and demonstrates his continued ambition in game development. The two titles represent Absurd Ventures’ first game releases since the studio’s formation, signaling the company’s transition from conceptual planning to tangible product development.