Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar Games revealed that its Co-Founder and Vice-President of Creative Dan Houser has made the decision to leave the company. This announcement was made through a regulatory filing by parent company Take-Two Interactive with the SEC. His last day is going to be on March 11.
In the filing, Senior Vice President Matthew Breitman said that this departure followed an extended break which started back in the spring of 2019 and that those at the studio "are extremely grateful for his contributions."
Dan Houser founded Rockstar Games with his brother Sam, along with Terry Donovan and Jamie King. Since being acquired by Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar has published action-adventure games and occasionally racing games. Dan wasn't only producing video games, but also served as the head writer.
As one of the founders, Houser played a significant role is creating not only the Grand Theft Auto series, but the Bully franchise as well. In fact, he was the lead writer for both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. He also served as producer for other games like Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire. He was also the writer for Bully and Bully: Scholarship Edition. You can even hear his voice in four GTA games.
According to a report from Polygon, a spokesperson from Rockstar said while Dan is indeed leaving the company, his brother Sam is going to continue with his role.
Grand Theft Auto was first released in 1997 and has since then spawned a total of 11 stand-alone games plus four expansion packs. The game reached new heights with the release of Grand Theft Auto 3, which brought the franchise to 3D, resulting in a more immersive experience. With at least 280 million units shipped, the GTA franchise is considered the fourth-highest selling video game series right behind the Mario series and Pokémon franchises from Nintendo, and surprisingly, Tetris. The series has not been without controversy, particularly with the adult nature along with the violent themes.
Even with the success of the GTA series, both brothers have managed to stay away from the limelight preferring to focus on the brand instead of one person getting any credit.
