Grand Theft Auto
News, coverage and analysis tracking Grand Theft Auto across the outlets.
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Former GTA lead Dan Houser's new "AAA story-driven open world video game" and animated series unveils its main cast, featuring stars of 30 Rock and Billions
Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games and former narrative lead on Grand Theft Auto, has revealed details about his new studio Absurd Ventures and its upcoming AAA story-driven open-world video game and animated series, collectively dubbed Absurdaverse. The project's main cast, featuring comedians from shows like 30 Rock and Billions, has been unveiled ahead of further announcements at the Netflix Is A Joke festival.
RACHEL DRATCH, DAN SODER, ARI MATTI AMONG ENSEMBLE OF COMEDY TALENT JOINING DAN HOUSER’S ABSURDAVERSE
Absurd Ventures, founded by Dan Houser, has announced the first wave of voice talent for its upcoming interconnected comedy satire universe, the ABSURDAVERSE. The projects include an animated series and an open-world video game. Voice actors such as Rachel Dratch, Dan Soder, and Ari Matti are attached, with initial animated shorts set to screen at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival.
How AI Is Transforming Gaming Content Creation in 2026
AI tools are now widely adopted by 86% of gaming content creators, primarily for behind-the-scenes tasks like editing, audio cleanup, and SEO, saving significant time. However, consumer trust in AI-generated content has plummeted, creating a tension where AI is useful for creators but potentially harmful to audience engagement if it replaces the human element. The most successful creators are leveraging AI to enhance efficiency while maintaining authenticity and their unique personality in front of the camera.
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain says good level designers shouldn't "assume anything the player is going to do in…
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain emphasized that non-linear game design requires developers to avoid assumptions about player actions, such as expecting them to interact with NPCs in a specific order. He highlighted games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for their freedom, contrasting them with the more restrictive mission design sometimes found in Rockstar Games' titles like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.
Crimson Desert’s Success Reveals the Importance of Imperfections in Gaming
Crimson Desert has surpassed five million copies sold, highlighting the appeal of imperfections in game design. Despite technical marvels, the game's unevenness and ambitious, sometimes unpolished, features contribute to its unique appeal. This success suggests that the triple-A industry could benefit from taking more risks and embracing a less focus-tested, more 'vibe-based' approach to development.
From killer monkeys to minigun babies, the funniest cheat codes in gaming, ever
This article discusses some of the funniest and most memorable cheat codes in gaming history, ranging from the chaotic angry pedestrian mode in Grand Theft Auto to explosive secrets in Tomb Raider 2. It also highlights unique cheat codes in Age of Empires, Turok, Sonic 3D Blast, Mortal Kombat, and Star Wars Jedi Knight 2, reminiscing about a golden age of harmless and humorous in-game modifications.
Rockstar Games Faces Hacker Deadline as Data Breach Threat Looms
Hacker group ShinyHunters claims to have accessed Rockstar Games' internal data via a compromised third-party service, threatening to leak it by April 14. This incident highlights the growing cybersecurity challenges faced by major game studios, with previous breaches at companies like CD Projekt Red, Capcom, and Nvidia serving as precedents. The outcome of this threat could impact ongoing development and industry security practices.
After Johnny Cage, Karl Urban Wants To Play Another Famous John In A Video Game Movie
Actor Karl Urban, who will play Johnny Cage in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, expressed his desire to portray John Marston in a potential Red Dead Redemption film or TV adaptation. Urban cited Red Dead Redemption as one of his favorite games and mentioned his past role in the Doom movie. The article also touches on Take-Two Interactive's cautious approach to licensing its intellectual properties for adaptations, citing past successes and failures.
Samson Has One Thing That GTA Doesn’t: Consequences
The game Samson, described as a budget Grand Theft Auto clone, offers a deeper sense of consequence due to its roguelike-inspired structure. This contrasts with Rockstar's crime narratives, which lack similar repercussions for player actions.
"Fantasy-style GTA" open-world game reportedly canceled after 2 years of work at Nexon
Nexon has reportedly canceled its unannounced open-world fantasy game, codenamed Project EL, after approximately two years of development. The game was described as a "fantasy-style GTA" and was being developed by a team led by director Shim Ki-hoon. This cancellation comes shortly after Patrick Söderlund was appointed as Nexon's executive chairman.
Samson proves there's still room for smaller Grand Theft Auto-style sandboxes – I just wish this one was…
Samson, the debut game from Liquid Swords, offers a purpose-driven take on the open-world crime sandbox genre, inspired by titles like Grand Theft Auto and Heat. While it compromises on polish, particularly in its combat and driving mechanics, its blend of roguelike and life simulation elements, focused on paying off debt as an ex-con, provides a compelling experience. The game aims to fill a niche for moderately-scoped sandboxes in an industry dominated by larger titles.
Just Cause co-creator made new crime game Samson because he is sick of "swallowing all the crap that the industry…
Christopher Sundberg, co-founder of Avalanche Studios and co-director of the Just Cause series, has released a new crime game called Samson through his studio Liquid Swords. Sundberg views Samson as a statement against current industry trends, which he feels are dominated by established intellectual property and plagued by layoffs. Despite mixed early reception on Steam, citing issues like clunky combat and performance problems, the developer is proud of the project and aims to improve it.
Samson review – Highly concentrated yet disappointing criminality
Samson is an open-world crime action game that attempts to revive the genre with a condensed experience and unique time-based debt system. Despite some interesting ideas, poor execution in driving, combat, and mission design leads to frustration and makes it a missed opportunity. The game struggles with clunky mechanics, repetitive tasks, and a stressful debt system that detracts from the narrative and overall fun.
Samson’s Crime Story Helps It Stand Out From GTA, But Jank Is A Problem
Samson: A Tyndalston Story offers a dark crime narrative and open-world gameplay, but is hampered by frustrating jank and repetitive tasks. While its desperation-driven gameplay loop and serious tone differentiate it from Grand Theft Auto, issues with clunky melee combat, irritating bugs, and a story soft-lock mar the experience. The game is available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Battling Layoffs, GTA Comparisons, And The Industry's "Crap:" How Just Cause's Creator Is Risking It All
Christofer Sundberg, co-creator of Just Cause and founder of Liquid Swords, discusses the upcoming release of his studio's first game, Samson: A Tyndalston Story. The interview covers the challenges of development, including significant layoffs that led to a scaled-down, more focused AA experience priced at $25. Sundberg also shares candid opinions on the current state of the video game industry, criticizing a lack of strategy and courage among leadership, and expresses his commitment to making bold new IPs despite the risks.
Games Inbox: Has the new Mass Effect been cancelled?
Reader mail discusses the lack of news regarding a new Mass Effect game, with one reader suspecting it may be cancelled despite EA's assurances. Other topics include potential remakes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the viability of a new Uncharted game, and the pricing of the PlayStation 5 Pro. There's also discussion on the success of Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy movie and its potential impact on future game and film adaptations.
'There are times when you want to put GTA down and pick up something else,' Samson studio founder says:…
Liquid Swords co-founder Christofer Sundberg discussed how their upcoming game Samson draws comparisons to Grand Theft Auto, acknowledging the open-world crime genre similarities while highlighting their smaller scale. He also noted that Grand Theft Auto competes with all forms of entertainment. Samson is set to launch on April 8, following significant development changes including layoffs.
Samson May Catch People off Guard
Samson, an upcoming game from Liquid Sword, has garnered significant attention with over 250,000 wishlists on Steam. The game emphasizes a gritty atmosphere, high-stakes narrative, and disciplined combat mechanics, drawing comparisons to Sifu. Driving mechanics and the car, Pacific Drive, are presented as integral tools for survival in the reactive city of Tyndalston.
MindsEye's first major update, 'Blacklist', really will be used by former GTA lead to 'share some of the evidence of the sabotage’ that apparently made it bad
Build a Rocket Boy, led by former Grand Theft Auto developer Leslie Benzies, is releasing a major update for its game MindsEye called 'Blacklist'. Benzies claims the update will include evidence of corporate sabotage that he alleges negatively impacted the game's development and reception. The studio is reportedly cooperating with UK and US authorities regarding these claims.
Imagine GTA with AI-generated characters "just going along with whatever insane thing you say," muses Valve writer, absent-mindedly spotlighting what terrifies me about genAI
Valve writer Erik Wolpaw is experimenting with generative AI, believing it has potential for creating more reactive NPCs in games like Grand Theft Auto and Left 4 Dead. While not currently a concerted effort by Valve, Wolpaw sees AI's strength in adjusting to player actions rather than creative writing. He notes that while expensive, AI could simulate characters reacting to player input in real-time, a significant challenge in game development.
