Is Dan Houser working on GTA 6?

Did Dan Houser leave Rockstar?

Yes. Take-Two’s Form 8-K, dated February 4, 2020, says Dan Houser, Vice President, Creative at Rockstar Games, “will be leaving the company”. His last day was March 11, 2020.

The filing mentions “an extended break” that began in spring 2019, and says Rockstar’s team “remains focused on current and future projects”. It doesn’t name GTA 6 and doesn’t mention his brother Sam.

Why did he leave?

The filing gives no reason beyond the break, and we haven’t found a statement from Take-Two or Rockstar that adds one. We aren’t repeating guesses about the reasons. If either side says more, we’ll update this page.

What has Dan Houser done since?

He started Absurd Ventures. Its site’s menu lists books, comic books, video games, audio fiction and animation, under the tagline “Storytelling. Philanthropy. Ultraviolence.”

Lex Fridman’s podcast interview with him (episode 484, posted October 31, 2025) opens by naming three of the company’s worlds: A Better Paradise, American Caper and Absurdaverse (spelled “Absurdiverse” in the transcript). Houser described Absurdaverse as a comedy universe that will include an open-world video game, which his team was building in San Rafael. Those are his own descriptions, not a release plan. None of it is a Rockstar or GTA project.

Has Dan Houser talked about GTA 6?

Yes, briefly, in that same interview. Asked whether it was bittersweet to watch GTA 6 arrive without him, he said “of course, it’s all of the above”, including “letting go of something I worked on” for about 20 years. He called that change “sad in a way”. Talking about others one day carrying on Red Dead, he added “I don’t own the IP.”

Earlier in the same chapter, Fridman opened a question with “You’ve mentioned that you haven’t written for Grand Theft Auto VI”, and Houser didn’t dispute it. Asked about sales, he said he would assume it “will sell really well”. He described no role in the game, and we found no interview where he claims one. For his comments on an unfinished GTA V story add-on, see our DLC question.

Who does Rockstar credit for GTA 6?

Take-Two’s December 2023 announcement credits Rockstar Games and quotes Sam Houser as Founder. Press interviews have featured leads such as Rob Nelson. Our page on who is making GTA 6 has the details and the titles outlets gave them. Rockstar hasn’t published a credits list, and we don’t use leaked ones.

What we don’t know yet

Rockstar hasn’t published GTA 6 credits, so we can’t say whether any of Dan Houser’s earlier work shaped the game. Neither side has said why he left beyond the 2020 filing. For the studio’s history, see Rockstar Games.