Farewell: After spending over two decades in the company he co-founded with his brother, Dan Houser is set to leave Rockstar Games on March 11, according to an SEC document registered by publisher Take-Two Interactive. Dan served as a producer and writer on several of Rockstar's iconic franchises, including the Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Redemption, Bully, and the third installment of Max Payne.
Dan Houser, the current vice president of creative at Rockstar Games is leaving the company after an "extended break," as revealed in an SEC document from parent company, Take-Two Interactive.
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. 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.
Dan, along with his brother Sam Houser, formed Rockstar Games in 1998. The duo's satirical depiction of American culture in 3D open worlds began with Grand Theft Auto III, a franchise whose latest installment released 7 years ago and continues to enjoy a thriving playerbase like few other games.
Almost every Rockstar title fuelled by Dan's creativity and words has resulted in several of the most iconic characters in gaming. From Jimmy Hopkins's adventures in Bullworth Academy to Niko Bellic's struggle in Liberty City and Arthur Morgan's redemption in the wild west, the focus on storytelling has remained just as important as the tech powering Rockstar's immersive worlds.
It's also interesting to see that unlike their massively popular games and the industry's prevalent culture, the Houser brothers have chosen to stay away from mainstream media and instead, let their games do the talking, as noted in this insightful piece by Vulture's Harold Goldberg during the making of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Dan's departure from the studio will likely have a noticeable impact on the highly anticipated GTA 6, that's currently rumored to be in development, alongside other projects. Since Rockstar likes to take its time with releases of that scale, it's possible that the next GTA has already received Dan's input, while a replacement awaits filling his big creative shoes.
Alongside Leslie's departure several years ago, Dan Houser's exit from Rockstar leaves Sam Houser as the only veteran in charge of Rockstar's reigns. The latter is currently serving as the studio's president, and Take-Two notes that his role with the studio "remains unchanged."
https://www.techspot.com/news/83871-rockstar-games-co-founder-dan-houser-leaving-studio.html
