Rockstar Co-Founder Dan Houser Snubs GTA 5, Crowns Red Dead Redemption 2 His Ultimate Open-World Masterpiece
Forget the flashy opener and bombastic finale—GTA 5 peaks in the middle, where the missions snap, the characters crackle, and Los Santos truly sings.
File this under not-exactly-shocking but still worth hearing: if you assumed GTA 5 was Rockstar's crown jewel, the guy who co-founded the studio has a different pick. Dan Houser says his favorite project he ever worked on is Red Dead Redemption 2.
Houser, who left Rockstar in 2020 and co-founded Absurd Ventures after a run that included the Grand Theft Auto series, L.A. Noire, and Max Payne 3, said it during a Q&A at LA Comic Con over the weekend. Asked to name the one that stands above the rest, he went straight to the sequel in the saddle.
"Red Dead 2, I think, was the best thing that I worked on, the best single realization of open-world storytelling thematic consistency, and understanding how the games are assembled to take you on an emotional journey."
Where Houser ranks the big ones
- Red Dead Redemption 2: His clear favorite, because it nails open-world storytelling, stays tonally locked-in, and is built to carry you through an emotional arc.
- GTA 4: He points to this one as a fundamental step forward in how Rockstar approached storytelling.
- GTA 5: Specifically the middle stretch, once the three-protagonist setup fully clicks. Not flawless, he says, but so smooth when it all starts humming.
- Red Dead Redemption: A special nod to the ending. If you know, you know.
Fans seem to be right there with him on Red Dead 2. The game still sits at a "Very Positive" rating on Steam and pulls in thousands of active players, years after launch. Not exactly a cult favorite.
Why this lands now
GTA 6 is looming as Rockstar's next giant swing — and it will be the first new release since Houser left five years ago. That makes his personal yardstick feel a little extra spicy. If GTA 6 clears the bar he just set for Red Dead 2, great. If it doesn't, expect the discourse to be loud. And yes, hearing him talk this glowingly about Red Dead only fuels the eternal 'will they make Red Dead Redemption 3?' hope. Maybe that's cope. Still true.