Dan Houser avoids GTA 6 gameplay and is working on two open-world games at Absurd Ventures
Dan Houser says in a Variety podcast that he is deliberately avoiding Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay while working on two open-world games at Absurd Ventures.
- The former Rockstar writer links that to his current work at Absurd Ventures, where he is reportedly working on two unreleased open-world games.
- In earlier projects, Houser also avoided similar influences, such as The Sopranos during Grand Theft Auto and western films during Red Dead Redemption.
What happened
Game Rant reports that Dan Houser said in a Variety podcast that he is deliberately avoiding GTA 6 gameplay. The information provided does not include a full transcript of the conversation, but the point is clear: Houser wants to avoid recent footage or ideas from GTA 6 influencing his own creative process.
That explanation fits with his current work at Absurd Ventures. According to the same reporting, Houser is working there on two unannounced open-world games. No titles, settings, platforms, or release dates are mentioned, so the only confirmed detail is that these are two separate projects in the same genre.
The report also points to earlier examples of the same approach. Houser reportedly avoided The Sopranos while developing Grand Theft Auto and did not watch western films during Red Dead Redemption. Game Rant presents this as a recurring pattern: Houser tries to keep direct influences from similar media out of the development process.
Timeline
2014: Kotaku later reports that Rockstar has been working on Grand Theft Auto 6 in some form since that year.
2015: other reporting names 2015 as the start of development, leaving the exact beginning unclear.
late 2023: Houser is linked in reporting to two unknown open-world games at Absurd Ventures.
2026-10-04: Game Rant publishes the article about Houser saying he avoids GTA 6 gameplay.
2026-10-05: the provided context refers to that publication and the Variety podcast where Houser is said to have spoken.
Background
Dan Houser was a co-founder of Rockstar and for years one of the key creative forces behind Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. That gives his choice to avoid GTA 6 gameplay extra weight in the reporting, especially now that he is working outside Rockstar on new open-world projects.
There is also additional context around GTA 6’s own development. Kotaku cites Rockstar North lead Rob Nelson, who explained that the team uses a long, iterative approach and builds the game through eight-week milestones. According to that description, the team evaluates each phase and uses feedback to decide where to focus next. That says something about the workflow, but not about an exact release date or a fully confirmed development start.
The available sources still leave open what Houser is actually making at Absurd Ventures. Only two open-world games are mentioned, with no further details. The claim that Rockstar has been working on GTA 6 since 2014 also comes from secondary reporting in the provided information, so it is less firmly established than Houser’s own comments about avoiding gameplay.
Sources
- Game Rant: article about Dan Houser and avoiding GTA 6 gameplay, based on a Variety podcast conversation.
- Variety: podcast conversation referenced by Game Rant.
- Kotaku: article about Rockstar’s development process for GTA 6 and Rob Nelson’s explanation.
- IGN: interview reference related to Rob Nelson and GTA 6.