Summary
- Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser unveils first projects for his new studio, Absurd Ventures - a graphic novel titled A Better Paradise and an audio drama called American Caper.
- Houser's departure from Rockstar influenced Take-Two's stock drop; talented Rockstar employees have followed him to Absurd Ventures.
- Absurd Ventures introduces two separate universes with its initial projects and hints at possible future video game projects.
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser unveiled his new studio's first two projects. This new studio, Absurd Ventures, is branching out from Rockstar's history of video games. Its first two projects, titled A Better Paradise and American Caper, are being produced as a graphic novel and audio drama respectively.
Since Houser left Rockstar in 2020, fans have eagerly awaited his next move. A year after his departure, Houser founded Absurd Ventures. When the company released its first promotional material in June of this year, it wasn't initially clear what kind of content the studio would be focusing on. But now, avid fans of Houser, and his work on franchises such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead, are likely excited to get their first look into what Absurd Ventures has been working on.
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American Caper, the studio's graphic novel, centers on two American families who become wrapped up in a world of corrupt business, incompetent politics, and crime. It's illustrated by respected comic book artist Simon Bisley. A Better Paradise, which is Absurd Venture's audio drama, is an existential thriller set in the near future. It consists of 12 episodes and is co-produced by Q-CODE Media, an award-winning audio company.
Along with the announcements, Houser also detailed that these two projects will be an introduction to two separate universes, with Absurd Ventures already working on future projects within them. Houser fans are likely relieved to hear this news, as his supporters have been excited for years to find out what Houser's new studio is working on.
Houser's departure from Rockstar had such an effect that Take-Two's stock dropped after Houser left; Take-Two is Rockstar's parent company. Some talented Rockstar employees followed Houser to his new studio, including Red Dead Redemption writer Michael Unsworth and Rockstar writer and producer Lazlow Jones.
Houser had a significant effect on Rockstar's games, and it's still unclear how Grand Theft Auto 6 may differ from previous entries due to his departure. Regardless of Grand Theft Auto 6's impending reveal, Rockstar fans now have even more to look forward to from some of their favorite creators. Absurd Ventures has not confirmed that its future projects involve video games, but it's certainly possible given the history of Houser and his coworkers. Absurd Ventures' promotional material used some interesting language, stating that American Caper will "debut" as a graphic novel, possibly inferring that future installments within its universe will take on different formats.