It sounds like Dan Houser’s new team is working on a game very similar to what Grand Theft Auto could be, so Absurd Ventures (which is also a transmedia company, so it’s not just about games) has an interesting project in the works.

The studio is based in Santa Monica, California, and currently has seven open positions (lead game designer, art director, lead designer, senior art director, senior producer, senior technical director, technical director). Houser is the leader, having left Rockstar in 2020 after being one of its founders in 1998, and Absurd Ventures was launched in 2023. His first two “universes” will be American Caper and A Better Paradise. The former will be released as a graphic novel, the latter as an audiobook series. Two Rockstar veterans, Lazlo Jones and Michael Unsworth, are also working here (we heard about them in November).

The lead game designer position is the interesting one, as we read here that an open-world action-adventure is in the works behind the doors of Absurd Ventures. The job description reads: “Become the primary vision holder and hands-on contributor for character, controls, and camera design on an open-world action-adventure game. The person in this role will lead a team of multi-disciplinary specialists to deliver best-in-class combat and third-person action across multiple game modes. Drive the design and implementation of all moment-to-moment player experience gameplay in alignment with direction from a senior leadership team. Establish a gameplay vision that serves the player’s imagination and creative direction, and then evangelize that vision to the broader team.

Lead designers, engineers, animators, artists, and external co-dev partners to deliver playable progress at regular intervals as part of a rapid iterative process. Incorporate feedback from peers, playtests, and senior leadership to refine and pivot as the game demands. Go beyond documentation and management to lead from the trenches with hands-on contributions to the playable experience. Establish metrics and best practices for environment and encounter design to support optimal gameplay,” Absud Ventures wrote.

Exciting. Grand Theft Auto from a different team?

Source: VGC, Absurd Ventures