Ex-Rockstar Boss Avoids GTA 6 Trailer to Protect Creative Process
Dan Houser has not watched the major Netflix reveal for Grand Theft Auto 6, citing a need to prevent creative interference in his current work.
Former Rockstar Games creative chief Dan Houser revealed in a recent interview with Variety that he has not watched the high-profile Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay trailer that debuted on Netflix in August. Despite helping write and produce past entries in the franchise and co-founding the studio alongside his brother Sam, Houser chose to skip the promotional footage entirely.
According to Kotaku, Houser left Rockstar in 2020 and now leads a new enterprise called Absurd Ventures, which he established in 2023. His deliberate choice to ignore contemporary open-world titles stems from a desire to shield his own artistic vision from external influences.
Protecting Creative Focus
Houser noted that viewing similar projects leads him to mentally evaluate the competing development team rather than enjoy the experience. Instead of assessing how a feature was built or critiquing studio weaknesses, he prefers to focus on novel concepts drawn from older media or entirely separate inspirations.
This avoidance tactic is a long-standing habit for the writer. While producing Red Dead Redemption, he actively avoided watching other Westerns, and he did not watch The Sopranos until the COVID-19 pandemic years after his departure from Rockstar.
Current Projects at Absurd Ventures
At his current company, Houser relies on colleagues to play recent releases so he does not have to. Absurd Ventures has so far launched novels, comic books, and audio dramas, but the organization is also developing two video games.
One project is an open-world comedy emphasizing character memory and comedic elements, with further details expected in the coming months. The second title is a dystopian science fiction game centered on a sentient rogue AI created by developers who disliked each other.
