Dan Houser Says He Avoids GTA 6 Footage While Building New Games
The Rockstar co-founder told a Variety podcast he skips GTA 6 gameplay to keep outside influences out of his own projects at Absurd Ventures.
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser said he is deliberately avoiding gameplay footage of Grand Theft Auto 6, telling a Variety podcast that he does not want the game to influence the projects he is working on.
Houser described the habit as a regular practice rather than a one-off decision, saying he keeps outside influences away from his own work while a game is in development.
He is currently working on two undisclosed open-world games at his studio, Absurd Ventures. Neither project has been formally announced.
Houser has applied the same approach before. While working on earlier Grand Theft Auto games he avoided watching The Sopranos entirely, and he stopped watching Western movies while developing Red Dead Redemption.
Grand Theft Auto 6, developed by Rockstar Games, returns the series to Vice City and lets players explore the wider map of Leonida, with side activities including basketball, mini-golf, scuba diving and parachuting. It is set to launch on November 19, 2026.
A crowded release window
Rockstar announced Grand Theft Auto 6 in late 2023, and its early trailers broke multiple YouTube records. The company later partnered with Netflix for an exclusive early premiere of the GTA 6 Extended Look trailer, six hours before it appeared on Rockstar's YouTube channel.
After the November 19 release date was announced, several studios shifted their own schedules. Microsoft moved its Fable reboot to February 2027 to avoid a holiday season expected to be dominated by Grand Theft Auto 6, without directly referencing the game.
Quick answers
Why is Dan Houser avoiding Grand Theft Auto 6 footage?
He said on a Variety podcast that he avoids outside influences as a regular practice while working on his own game projects.
What is Dan Houser working on now?
Two undisclosed open-world games at his studio, Absurd Ventures.
When does Grand Theft Auto 6 release?
Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on November 19, 2026.