GTA Franchise Rockstar Games Former Co Founder Dan Houser Launch GTA Rival Making Third-Person Open-World Game Absurd Ventures

Absurd Ventures, helmed by Dan Houser, a notable co-founder of Rockstar Games, made waves last year with the revelation of several ambitious multimedia projects, encompassing an array of mediums such as an immersive audio drama and a captivating graphic novel. Following his departure from Rockstar Games in 2020, Dan Houser embarked on this new creative journey.

Now, an intriguing discovery in a job posting on the Absurd Ventures website hints at the studio’s ongoing development of a highly anticipated third-person, open-world action-adventure game.

Cat’s Out Of The Bag

The unveiling of a job listing on the Absurd Ventures website has shed light on the studio’s dedicated efforts towards crafting an expansive open-world action-adventure experience. This particular genre encapsulates the essence of renowned titles like Grand Theft Auto, prompting curiosity and speculation about Dan Houser’s potential endeavour to venture into a similar realm as his prior influential contributions. Here’s an excerpt from the insightful job listing that has sparked considerable interest among gaming enthusiasts and industry observers alike:

The post read, “Become the primary vision holder and hands-on contributor for character, controls, and camera design in an open-world action-adventure game. The person in this role will lead a team of multi-disciplinary specialists to deliver best-in-class combat and third-person action across multiple game modes.”

The job listing specifies the need for an ideal candidate with expertise in combat design for action games, encompassing proficiency in developing both melee and shooting action mechanics. Notably, Dan Houser is not the sole former Rockstar developer at Absurd Ventures; the studio recently welcomed the renowned Lazlow Jones on board. Lazlow, known for his extensive contributions to in-game radio stations, where he voiced the character of the same name for many years, brings a wealth of experience to the team.

While it’s improbable that Absurd Ventures aims to create a project that could compete directly with Grand Theft Auto, the studio could be gearing up to deliver another compelling addition to the action-adventure genre, which has seen some fluctuations in recent times. A notable example is the modest performance of Saints Row (2022), which only managed to sell 1.7 million copies before Volition ceased operations.