Dan Houser, a key figure behind the Grand Theft Auto series, has revealed that he has deliberately avoided watching the gameplay reveal for Grand Theft Auto 6. This decision stems from his work on new creative projects, including video games, through his studio Absurd Ventures, which he founded in 2023.
Houser shared details about Absurd Ventures' upcoming titles in an interview with Variety's Strictly Business podcast. The studio is developing two distinct games: one is described as an open-world comedy designed to emphasize humor and character development, while the other is a dystopian sci-fi game centered on a video game development studio where a rogue AI achieves sentience. The comedic open-world game is set in what Houser calls the "Absurdaverse."
Despite his history of creating highly successful comedic open-world titles, Houser stated that he no longer plays such games, finding it distracting. He prefers to analyze the creative and technical aspects of rival games, which he feels hinders his own creative process. This mindset also extends to his avoidance of the GTA 6 reveal, as he seeks to prevent external influences from disrupting his creative vision. Houser aims for Absurd Ventures' games to explore novel concepts and avoid repeating what has already been done.
Absurd Ventures had previously announced a collaboration with Smilegate on a AAA sci-fi game set within the universe of Smilegate's "A Better Paradise." While neither of Absurd Ventures' new projects has received an official unveiling or release date, Houser indicated that more information about the Absurdaverse open-world game is expected in the coming months.