Dan Houser Confirms He Had No Role in GTA 6 Writing

For a long time, many players wondered whether Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser, who penned the scripts for more than a decade of Grand Theft Auto titles, had left his fingerprints on GTA 6 before his departure. Given that pre-production on the game began before 2020, it seemed possible that he had at least drafted some material.

However, Houser has now dispelled that belief. Speaking to IGN, he noted:

“I wrote the last 10 or 11 [GTA games]. I think the world’s probably had enough GTA from me. They’re always a new story. [GTA 6 is] not going to be a story I wrote or a character set that I developed, but I think it’s going to be exciting. The game will be great, I’m sure.”

Houser admitted it will be “strange” to play a GTA game without knowing the full story ahead of time, but he expressed confidence in Rockstar’s current team.

Dan Houser Confirms He Had No Role in Grand Theft Auto 6 Writing.

Earlier reports claimed that Houser had submitted three early drafts for GTA 6, known internally as “Project Americas.” These alleged scripts were said to be rejected by Take-Two Interactive for being "too dark" and not aligning with the publisher’s push for a more grounded narrative.

The supposed leak came from a self-described script supervisor, but it was never verified. Houser’s latest comments don’t directly address those rumors, but his clear denial of involvement suggests that if drafts ever existed, they had no bearing on the final product.

Houser’s Legacy at Rockstar

Dan and his brother Sam Houser co-founded Rockstar Games in 1998 after Take-Two acquired BMG Interactive and DMA Design. The studio transformed DMA’s Race’n’Chase into what became Grand Theft Auto. From there, the Houser brothers shaped Rockstar’s identity as both producers and writers, with Dan earning particular recognition for crafting the worlds of GTA III through GTA V and both Red Dead Redemption titles.

His abrupt departure in March 2020 raised concerns about whether Rockstar’s narrative style could continue without him. While Sam Houser remains at the company as president and still oversees GTA 6, the writing is now fully handled by a new team.

Of course, Houser’s departure didn’t end his creative journey. In 2021, he founded Absurd Ventures, a multimedia company already working on several projects. The studio recently announced a publishing deal with Smilegate for a AAA sci-fi open-world action-adventure game, still in early development. On top of that, Absurd Ventures is preparing to release a graphic novel titled American Caper this November.

As for GTA 6, the game is set to launch on May 26, 2026. The game has already generated massive anticipation following its trailers, which showcase Rockstar’s signature blend of satire, storytelling, and open-world detail.