In a candid moment at LA Comic Con 2025, Rockstar Games co-founder and legendary writer Dan Houser delivered a message to fans eagerly awaiting Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6): he had zero involvement in its script. stated plainly, “I think it’s a great privilege to have worked on something that big – you know, I wrote the last 10 or 11 of them, so I think the world’s probably had enough GTA from me.”
The Man Behind GTA’s Iconic Stories
Dan Houser, alongside brother Sam, co-founded Rockstar in 1998, transforming a scrappy British developer (DMA Design) into a powerhouse of satirical open-world epics. As Vice President of Creativity, Dan penned the razor-sharp dialogue and sprawling narratives that defined the franchise:
| Game | Release Year | Houser’s Role | Standout Narrative Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTA III | 2001 | Lead Writer | Silent protagonist Claude; rise-from-nothing crime saga |
| GTA: Vice City | 2002 | Lead Writer | Tommy Vercetti’s Scarface-inspired empire-building |
| GTA: San Andreas | 2004 | Lead Writer | CJ’s gangsta epic across state lines |
| GTA IV | 2008 | Lead Writer | Niko Bellic’s bleak American Dream deconstruction |
| GTA V | 2013 | Lead Writer | Three-protagonist heist masterpiece (possible minor input post-2013) |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 2018 | Lead Writer | Arthur Morgan’s emotional Western odyssey – Houser’s personal favorite |
Houser’s scripts blended biting social commentary, moral ambiguity, and pop culture parody, grossing billions and redefining gaming. But after RDR2, he departed in March 2020 – pre-production on GTA 6 had begun in 2018, yet his two-year overlap yielded no writing credit.
Why Did Houser Leave? Bandwidth, Burnout, and New Horizons
Houser didn’t mince words on Rockstar’s constraints. During the same panel, he lamented Bully 2‘s cancellation: “If you’ve got a small lead creative team and a small senior leadership crew, you just can’t do all the projects you want.” Crunch culture, endless GTA cycles, and shifting priorities likely factored in – echoes of the infamous 100-hour weeks for GTA V and RDR2.
Post-Rockstar, Houser launched Absurd Ventures in 2020, a multimedia empire spanning graphic novels (American Caper with Dark Horse), audio dramas, novels (A Better Paradise, an AI-tinged sci-fi thriller published October 2025), and the newly announced Absurdaverse – a shared universe hinting at future games, TV, and film. He’s even teased video games based on American Caper, evoking GTA vibes but unconfirmed.
In later interviews, like one with Lex Fridman (November 2025), Houser praised GTA 6’s potential record-breaking success despite his absence, while reminiscing on shelved ideas like GTA 5’s half-finished Trevor DLC and a medieval open-world prototype.
Fan Reactions: Concern, Optimism, and Doom-Mongering
X (formerly Twitter) erupted with mixed takes. Many fear a narrative dip without Houser’s genius:
- Pessimism dominates: “GTA 6 will be trash bc Dan Houser didn’t write the story.” “My expectations on GTA VI story are not that high… not on the same level as RDR1 RDR2 or GTA IV.”
- Doom predictions: “Rockstar se fue al caño… GTA VI va a terminar decepcionando.” “San Houser ‘making’ gta 6 instead of Dan Houser. Dan is the real mastermind but he left, gta 6 is doomed.”
- Silver linings: Some celebrate change – Rockstar’s anti-crunch reforms could yield fresher stories, and GTA 6’s trailer-hyped Vice City duo (Lucia and Jason) promises viral open-world chaos.
Broader discourse ties Houser’s exit to other departures (e.g., Lazlow Jones, Michael Unsworth), fueling “Rockstar’s decline” narratives amid GTA Online’s filter drama (e.g., banning “Charlie Kirk”).
What This Means for GTA 6 – And Gaming’s Old Guard
GTA 6 arrives as Rockstar’s biggest bet yet: a hyper-detailed Leonida (Florida) playground, social media satire, and dual-protagonist romance/heists. Without Houser, expect evolution – perhaps less cynical prose, more modern sensibilities. But as Houser himself said, “There’s always a new story… I think it’s going to be exciting. The game will be great, I’m sure.”
This is an inflection point: Can Rockstar thrive post-Houser? His Absurd Ventures pivot proves legends don’t retire – they reinvent. GTA 6 might shatter sales records (GTA 5 hit 200M+), but its story’s legacy hangs in the balance.
