Rockstar-medgründer Dan Houser sier at Red Dead Redemption 2 var hans beste verk

Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser has revealed that Red Dead Redemption 2 remains his proudest accomplishment during his two decades at the studio. Despite being one of the principal writers behind nearly every Grand Theft Auto title since the series began, Houser pointed to the 2018 Western epic as the most complete creative vision he ever worked on.

In a new interview with IGN, Houser reflected on his long career at Rockstar, which spanned from the release of the first Grand Theft Auto expansion in 1999 through to Grand Theft Auto 5 in 2013. While he spoke about highlights across several projects, he singled out Red Dead Redemption 2 as his definitive achievement.

“Red Dead 2, I think, was the best thing that I worked on,” said Houser. “The best single realisation of open-world storytelling, thematic consistency and understanding how the games are assembled to take you on an emotional journey.” — Dan Houser

Houser, who left Rockstar in 2020 to form Absurd Ventures, explained that while Red Dead 2 holds a special place for him, other Rockstar projects were also significant milestones. He credited Grand Theft Auto 4 for evolving the studio’s approach to storytelling and highlighted the technical and narrative ambition in Grand Theft Auto 5.

“I also think GTA 4, because we did try and evolve how we did the storytelling and did it in a fundamental way. I think the middle section of GTA 5 is amazing when we got the three characters working. I think it was not flawless, but it was so smooth. That middle section, I thought that was really amazing. And then the end of Red Dead 1. Those are sort of my favourite bits.” — Dan Houser

Houser also mentioned that several other Rockstar titles remain important to him because of their originality. He noted Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto 3, and Bully as particularly gratifying projects due to their status as new or nearly new IPs at the time. For Houser, helping establish these worlds and making them resonate with players was a defining creative experience.

Beyond reflecting on his past work, Houser also looked toward the future. Since departing Rockstar, he has been building Absurd Ventures, a transmedia studio that was announced in 2023. Earlier this year, the company unveiled plans for its first major project, a shared universe known as the Absurdaverse. The reveal showcased twenty new characters, ranging from contemporary anti-heroes to more fantastical figures like a Viking warrior and a hooded ghoul.

“Prepare to meet some new kinds of heroes (and watch them suffer),” Houser’s team teased in the February announcement. The company confirmed that the Absurdaverse will expand across games, animation, and other media, with its first original project described as a story-driven action-comedy adventure game.

In the same interview, he revealed he has no involvement in GTA VI story and disappointed fans with Bully 2 not happening, because of "bandwidth issues". He believes the new GTA will be an exciting game!

In addition to Absurdaverse, Absurd Ventures is developing two other fictional universes. American Caper is set to launch as a graphic novel, while A Better Paradise will debut as an audio fiction series. Houser explained that he hopes to bring lessons from his time at Rockstar—especially the challenge of establishing original IP—to these new ventures.

Houser’s comments underline how Red Dead Redemption 2 represented not just a technical accomplishment but a culmination of Rockstar’s storytelling philosophy. Released in 2018, the game was praised for its attention to detail, cinematic presentation, and emotionally driven narrative. For Houser, it stands above his other achievements, even those tied to the globally successful Grand Theft Auto franchise.

As Absurd Ventures prepares its first slate of projects, Houser continues to frame his new work in the same terms that defined his Rockstar years: ambitious worlds, distinctive characters, and stories designed to challenge expectations. Whether the Absurdaverse or its companion projects can capture the same cultural impact as Red Dead Redemption 2 or Grand Theft Auto remains to be seen, but Houser’s comments make it clear that his creative ambitions remain as strong as ever.