A legacy within Rockstar Games is coming to a close.
Take-Two Interactive recently filed a Form 8-K with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as reported by StreetInsider. With it, the company revealed a rather startling bit of news: Dan Houser will take his leave from the company next month.
“After an extended break beginning in the spring of 2019, Dan Houser, Vice President, Creative at Rockstar Games, will be leaving the company,” it noted. “Dan Houser’s last day will be March 11, 2020. We are extremely grateful for his contributions. Rockstar Games has built some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful game worlds, a global community of passionate fans and an incredibly talented team, which remains focused on current and future projects.”
No reason was given for Houser’s departure. Considering he’s been away for almost a year, however, he might have just been ready to move on permanently.
Houser helped form the company alongside his brother, Sam, in the late ’90s. His work began as writer and producer of Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, continuing on through some of Rockstar’s most notable releases. These include the best-selling Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) and both Red Dead Redemption (2010) and its noteworthy sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018).
Along with those duties, Houser also provided voiceover work for several games, starting with X-Squad in 2000 and continuing through several Grand Theft Auto releases.
Sam Houser will remain with the company. There is no word on what Dan Houser has lined up next, or if he’s simply taking a break from video games.
