Smilegate, the publisher behind games such as Lost Ark, has joined hands with Absurd Ventures to publish Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser's upcoming AAA game. Established in 2021, Absurd Ventures is a multimedia firm founded by Houser after leaving Rockstar Games in 2020.
Having spent around three decades in the gaming industry, Houser is a bona fide veteran who boasts an impressive portfolio, mainly thanks to his work at Rockstar Games. At his former organization, he contributed as one of the key creative minds behind mega-hits such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5. Back in May 2024, the first signs of Absurd Ventures working on an open-world action-adventure game emerged, signaling Houser's return to game development. During the same year, Smilegate's investment in the studio's projects was also announced.
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Smilegate to Publish Upcoming Absurd Ventures Game
Now, over a year later, Smilegate revealed that it was publishing a AAA game set in Absurd Ventures' A Better Paradise universe. The project was described as an open-world, sci-fi, action-adventure title that was in "early development." Notably, Dan Houser is writing for the game while also serving as its creative director. The ex-GTA lead is collaborating with Lazlow Jones and Michael Unsworth, two important figures from his Rockstar Games days, on this project. Moreover, it was shared that the game's senior developers comprised of former employees of renowned studios, including Bungie, Treyarch, Insomniac Games, and more. Reflecting on the nature of the game, Houser said that it was "an opportunity to go somewhere entirely different" and could be an "entirely new adventure" for players. The forthcoming game is the third project announced in the A Better Paradise universe, alongside 2024's audio series titled A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath and its novel adaptation coming out later in 2025.
Smilegate's partnership with Absurd Ventures appears to be an encouraging sign for the in-development game, given the South Korean publisher's experience with handling popular titles such as Crossfire and Lost Ark. Moreover, the involvement of Unsworth, together with whom Houser wrote the award-winning Red Dead Redemption 2, could certainly be seen as a major boost. Keeping in mind that Absurd Ventures is concurrently working on a few different projects, including an action-comedy game teased in January, it may be some time before more updates about the aforementioned project are revealed.
Earlier this year, another game backed by an ex-Rockstar Games lead, called MindsEye, rolled out and instantly bombed. Having seen such a disastrous launch unfold, fans of Houser's work would hope that Absurd Ventures learns from MindsEye's mistakes and avoids making the same. However, only time will tell if that will be enough to replicate some of the success experienced by Houser during his stint at his previous company.
- Date Founded
- December 22, 1998
- Headquarters
- New York, New York, United States
- CEO
- Sam Houser
- Parent Company
- Take-Two Interactive
- Subsidiaries
- Rockstar North, Rocksteady Studios, Rockstar India, Rockstar Lincoln
- Known For
- Grand Theft Auto