Absurd Ventures

Dan Houser, the co-creator of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, walked away from Rockstar Games in 2020 after nearly three decades. In February 2021, he registered a new Delaware LLC called Absurd Ventures. The company went public in June 2023 with a Santa Monica headquarters and a second office in San Rafael, California. Its mission: build original universes across any medium that can carry a story.

Absurd Ventures has already launched two distinct IPs. A Better Paradise is a sci-fi thriller that debuted as an audio fiction series and hit number one on podcast charts. A novel in that universe, distributed by Simon & Schuster with narration by Ray Porter, followed. American Caper is a crime fiction world that started with a bestselling comic book series. A third property, the comedy satire Absurdaverse, has animation projects slated for 2026. The company also runs an e-commerce store selling branded merchandise.

Houser brought in key talent: Greg Borrud, co-founder of Pandemic Studios, heads game development; Wendy Smith, formerly of Creative Artists Agency, is COO. Other Rockstar veterans like Lazlow Jones, Michael Unsworth, and marketing executive Adam Tedman joined in 2022 and 2023. As of 2025, the company employs about 50 people across its two California locations. [edit]