Ex GTA and Red Dead producer Dan Houser's open-world game has a new publisher

From the very early days of the studio through to GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, Dan Houser's name has been synonymous with Rockstar, which he co-founded alongside brother Sam and several other collaborators. He left the developer in 2020, and while it's been working to bring us Grand Theft Auto 6, Houser has formed Absurd Ventures. His new team has been creating everything from podcasts to novels, several of which take place in a sci-fi universe called A Better Paradise. Now, its untitled, upcoming open-world game has been signed by publisher Smilegate, best known for online games Lost Ark and Crossfire.

With the likes of Grand Theft Auto 5 under his belt, currently the second best-selling game ever, Dan Houser and Absurd Ventures' new open-world game has big shoes to fill. The project has some weighty names behind it, however; joining Houser on the creative team are fellow longtime GTA writers Michael Unsworth and Jeffrey 'Lazlow' Jones. The rest of the dev team features veterans from Bungie, Treyarch, Respawn, Riot, and Insomniac, with credits including Call of Duty, Destiny 2, Spider-Man 2, Valorant, and more between them.

Now, it confirms that its upcoming sci-fi action-adventure game will be published by South Korean studio Smilegate, best known as the developer of free-to-play MMORPG Lost Ark, which was briefly the biggest game on Steam when it launched globally. "Absurd is officially in development on this new triple-A game, driven by an ambitious and exciting creative vision," the developer writes. It'll be part of the universe of A Better Paradise, which is launching its first novelization in October.

While any other details on the game are still light, Houser says it's "an opportunity to go somewhere entirely different and to take players on an entirely new adventure. I am excited to be going on this journey with the amazing team that we are building here at Absurd Ventures," he continues, "and am grateful that we are partnering with Smilegate who really understand and support our vision."

We're still patiently waiting on the GTA 6 release date for PC, but it's good to hear that some of the best-known writers involved with the series over the years are crafting something totally new together. Personally, I'm quite excited by the prospect of it being a sci-fi setting, which opens up the door to all manner of potential outcomes.

It'll likely be a while before we get to experience the world Absurd Ventures is building, but there are plenty more upcoming PC games to enjoy in the meantime. If you're in the market for an upgrade, check our guide to the best gaming PC in 2025.

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