A new unofficial explanation has surfaced regarding Dan Houser’s shocking departure from Rockstar back in 2020: according to the highly reliable source Tez2, Dan left following a major disagreement with his brother Sam Houser over the direction of Rockstar Games.
The subject resurfaced on GTAForums, where Tez2—considered one of the most credible insiders around Rockstar—responded directly. He claims to have obtained the information from two former developers at the studio. Tez2 adds that if his departure had been linked to controversies surrounding crunch time or working conditions, Dan would probably have left much earlier, as early as 2018.
It’s worth remembering that Dan Houser was one of Rockstar’s key creative figures and that his departure had a profound impact on the studio. He is now at the helm of Absurd Ventures, where he is working on a new, as yet undisclosed game.
