Key Takeaways
1. Dan Houser feels “sadder” about not being involved in the development of Red Dead Redemption 3 compared to Grand Theft Auto 6, due to his emotional connection to the Red Dead series’ storyline.
2. Houser, who left Rockstar Games in March 2020, played a crucial role in shaping major titles, including both Red Dead Redemption games and the Grand Theft Auto series.
3. He views the Red Dead series as a two-game narrative with “thematic consistency,” making it more personally impactful than the standalone nature of the GTA titles.
4. There is currently no official news on Red Dead Redemption 3, as Rockstar Games is focused on the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI on May 26, 2026.
5. Historically, Rockstar has begun working on sequels shortly after previous titles, suggesting that Red Dead Redemption 3 may be developed after the release of GTA VI.
Rockstar Games co-founder and former chief writer Dan Houser recently shared his thoughts in an interview on the Lex Fridman Podcast. He mentioned that he would feel “sadder” seeing the development of Red Dead Redemption 3 without his input than observing the progress of Grand Theft Auto 6 from afar.
Context of Departure
To give some background, Dan Houser left Rockstar in March 2020, along with his brother Sam. They played significant roles in creating and guiding the vision for games including Grand Theft Auto III, GTA IV, GTA V, Red Dead Redemption, and its sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, effectively shaping both the 3D and HD universes of Rockstar.
Houser has been directly acknowledged for his contributions to over 10 major projects at Rockstar. He referred to this emotional change as “a big change in a sad way.” In contrast, he finds it less difficult to separate from GTA VI since it tells a distinct story on its own.
Insights from the Interview
During the interview, Houser elaborated:
“Since each of the GTA titles is more like a standalone story, it doesn’t hit the same way; I might feel sadder if someone continued with Red Dead, as there is a clear two-game narrative. That might sting more to hear someone take that over.”
He went on to say, “But again, that probably will happen too. I don’t own the IP. That’s part of the arrangement; it’s a privilege to work on projects, but ownership isn’t guaranteed.”
This clearly reflects how invested Houser was in the storytelling for the Red Dead Redemption series, which began with RDR in 2010 and continued with its prequel, RDR2. He sees the series as a highlight of his career due to its “thematic consistency” in storytelling.
Future of Red Dead Redemption
As of now, there is no news regarding Red Dead Redemption 3 since Rockstar Games is focused on the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI, set for May 26, 2026, which is only six months away. It’s possible that the studio will begin working on Red Dead Redemption 3 shortly after the release of GTA VI, based on their past practices.
Historically, Rockstar started working on Red Dead Redemption 2 just a year after the first RDR was launched in 2010. Even though Rockstar has a packed schedule and is keeping things under wraps, it wouldn’t be surprising if the next title in their HD universe ends up being Red Dead Redemption 3.
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