Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says Red Dead Redemption 3 'will probably happen' but would be sad not to be part of it

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  • Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser thinks the studio will make Red Dead Redemption 3
  • The Red Dead Redemption 2 writer says since his work on the first two titles was a "cohesive two-story arc", he would be sad not to be involved
  • He says, "That might be more sad to hear someone working on that. But again, that will probably happen too"

Rockstar co-founder and Red Dead Redemption 2 writer Dan Houser believes a third game will eventually be made, but has admitted he would be sad not being involved in its development.

Speaking in a recent interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, Houser, who also has writing credits on almost every Grand Theft Auto game, shared his thoughts on not being a part of the highly anticipated GTA 6 and any potential Red Dead Redemption sequel having left the company.

The developer agreed that it would be bittersweet, but he's also pleased with doing other stuff at his own studio, Absurd Ventures.

"Of course, letting go of something I worked on in one way or another for like 20 odd years, and wrote on them for the last 10 or 11 that came out, wrote all of them, or you know, lead writer on all of them, whatever it was… letting go of that is a big change. And sad in a way," Houser said.

Speaking more on Red Dead Redemption, Houser explained that since his work on the first two titles was a "cohesive two-story arc", he would be sad not being involved with the continuation if a third game was in the works.

Dan Houser: GTA, Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar, Absurd & Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #484 - YouTube Dan Houser: GTA, Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar, Absurd & Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #484 - YouTube
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Either way, Houser believes Rockstar will make Red Dead Redemption 3 one day.

"Because each of the [Grand Theft Auto] games was a kind of standalone story, it’s not quite the same as I think probably it would be in some ways sadder if someone continued on Red Dead, because it was a cohesive two-game arc. That might be more sad to hear someone working on that. But again, that will probably happen too.

"I don’t own the IP. That was the sort of part of the deal. It’s a privilege to work on stuff, but you don’t necessarily own it."

Rockstar hasn't shared any plans for a third Red Dead game, but we know it's currently focused on Grand Theft Auto 6, which launches on May 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

In the same interview, Houser explained why there is so much hype surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6, arguing that it's due to how Rockstar has handled the evolution of the IP.

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Demi is a freelance games journalist for TechRadar Gaming. She's been a games writer for five years and has written for outlets such as GameSpot, NME, and GamesRadar, covering news, features, and reviews. Outside of writing, she plays a lot of RPGs and talks far too much about Star Wars on X.

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