Rockstar Games acquires Sydney studio Video Games Deluxe, rebrands it to Rockstar Australia

Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games has acquired Sydney-based developer Video Games Deluxe. The studio has received a name change and will now be called Rockstar Australia. This move marks Rockstar’s first major return to Australian shores since the development of L.A. Noire with Team Bondi back in 2011.

“After working together closely over many years, we are excited to have Video Games Deluxe join the team as Rockstar Australia,” said Rockstar Games Head of Publishing, Jennifer Kolbe, according to the official announcement shared by Business Wire.

Video Games Deluxe has a long history with Rockstar Games already; the studio’s founder, Brendan McNamara, was the founder of Team Bondi, and also wrote and directed L.A. Noire. Video Games Deluxe has collaborated with Rockstar Games with many of its recent titles, including (appropriately enough) the 2017 remaster of L.A. Noire as well as L.A. Noire: The Case Files on VR. Most recently, the studio assisted with rectifying many of the egregious bugs which plagued Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition when it released in 2021.

“It’s been an honor to work closely with Rockstar Games this past decade,” said McNamara. “We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible.”

It is unclear what sorts of projects Rockstar Australia’s new parent company envisions for it. It is possible that it will continue to be a support studio; I can imagine that the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 will need as many hands on deck as possible for maintenance when it eventually releases. On the other hand, if Rockstar Games was interested in producing an L.A. Noire sequel, bringing the original developer’s director and new studio into the fold would be a logical first step. At any rate, it’s nice to see further investment in an Australian studio, and hopefully there will be some promising projects in Rockstar Australia’s future.