Rockstar Games Co-Founder Is Leaving the Company

Here’s a bit of news that we weren’t expecting: Dan Houser, one of the longest-serving members of staff at Rockstar, will be leaving the company next month.

Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, broke the news in an official document with this statement: “After an extended break beginning in the spring of 2019, Dan Houser, Vice President, Creative at Rockstar Games, will be leaving the company. Dan Houser’s last day will be March 11, 2020.” It’s interesting to hear that Houser has been on a break for quite some time and will not be carrying on with Rockstar.

“We are extremely grateful for his contributions,” the statement adds. And, indeed, Houser’s contributions to Rockstar Games have been very significant: he was the co-founder of the company, and he served as a writer on such massive games as Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption, Bully, Max Payne 3, and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Houser is widely regarded as one of the key creative forces at Rockstar, and it’s fair to say he has had a hand in a huge deal of their success. The reasons behind his departure and the extended break that preceded it are unclear, and we also don’t know who will be stepping into the role to replace him.

Certainly, as the gaming world prepares for the arrival of next-gen hardware with the impending launches of the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, it’s somewhat shocking to see such a hugely popular studio losing one of its key individuals. It’s weird to think that if another GTA or Red Dead Redemption game is released, Houser won’t be involved in that launch.

If any more news about the reasons behind this departure come to light, we’ll be sure to let you know. For now, we’ll keep our ears to the ground. It’ll be interesting to see where Rockstar and Houser go from here.