Dan Houser says he will avoid watching GTA 6 to protect new games

Dan Houser will not be watching Grand Theft Auto 6.

Houser, who left Rockstar Games in 2020 to found Absurd Ventures, said he had still not seen the extended reveal for the next Grand Theft Auto. He discussed it in an interview with Variety, reported by Video Games Chronicle. The conversation centred on his new studio and its plans.

He plans to keep it that way. Houser said he will try to avoid watching the game. It is a deliberate choice. It is not about timing.

The reason he gave was creative space. He said he wants to avoid distraction and outside influence while building his own open-world games. Open-world means a game set in a large map that players are free to explore at their own pace. He does not want another take on that format in his mind while his team builds its own.

Absurd Ventures is currently working on two such projects. One is described as a comedy action-adventure, mixing action with jokes. The other is described as definitely less of a comedy, with a straighter tone. Both projects ask the new studio to organise large teams around exploration, missions and story.

Houser knows that structure well. He worked at Rockstar alongside Lazlow for nearly 20 years. The pair worked on Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, according to IGN.

He also said he does not play a lot of open-world games for pleasure. He does not plan to play Grand Theft Auto 6 himself, according to IGN. That account was published on 2 October 2026, a day before the report on the Variety interview.

What makes this stand out is the personal link. Most creators keep an eye on what follows their work. Houser is choosing to look elsewhere while his next worlds take shape.

For fans, this means the separation is complete. The next Grand Theft Auto will arrive without his involvement, as has been the case since his departure. His focus is on what Absurd Ventures makes next.