Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser is leaving the studio

In what comes as a shock to most of the industry, Rockstar Games’ Dan Houser is leaving the company he co-founded with his brother Sam Houser. After a little over two decades with the renowned video game studio, Houser’s last day with the company will be March 11th, 2020.

Known for his work as one of the writers for the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto & Red Dead Redemption franchises, Dan in partnership with his brother Sam made a name for both themselves and the studio they both founded during the late 90s. Over 20 years later, and after an extended leave period following the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, it seems Dan is looking to move on. Revealed in a published SEC filing, parent company Take-Two Interactive had this to say regarding the announced departure. “We are extremely grateful for his contributions. Rockstar Games has built some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful game worlds, a global community of passionate fans and an incredibly talented team, which remains focused on current and future projects.”

The last time Dan Houser became the centre of discussion was during the release of Red Dead Redemption 2. In an interview with Vulture, the subject of “crunch culture” was seemingly glorified by Houser when describing his team’s 100-hour work weeks leading up to the release of their latest game, and was met with considerable criticism and backlash. It’s possible more information will be revealed about this situation when Take-Two Interactive makes its quarterly earnings call this Thursday, and we will update this piece with more information should the need arise.

What are your thoughts regarding this announcement? Could this be an indication of internal strife within the studio? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!