Why GTA Studio Co-Founder Is Avoiding GTA 6–And All Open-World Games
Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, is deliberately avoiding GTA 6’s marketing and the game itself. In a recent Variety interview, Houser revealed he skipped the “Extended Look” trailer and has no plans to watch it. Having left Rockstar in 2020, he now leads Absurd Ventures, his own development studio also focused on open-world games.
Houser’s decision stems from a deliberate creative philosophy: consuming competitors’ work risks disrupting his own creative process and thinking. He explained that his time is already consumed by creating open-world games and developing innovative marketing strategies, making competitor research unnecessary. “I’m always trying to think about new ways of doing it, not sit there in some kind of comparison of what I would have done differently,” he said.
This approach prioritizes independent creative vision over competitive awareness. By cutting himself off from seeing what his former employer—and industry leader—is doing with GTA 6, Houser aims to avoid unconscious imitation or second-guessing of his own work. The stance is somewhat ironic given his legendary role in shaping the GTA franchise that defined his career, but his focus now appears firmly on building the next generation of open-world experiences through Absurd Ventures.