Absurd Ventures

Last updated

Absurd Ventures LLC
Company type Private
Industry
FoundedFebruary 17, 2021;4 years ago (2021-02-17)
Founder Dan Houser
Headquarters Santa Monica, California
Number of locations
2 (2025)
Key people
  • Greg Borrud (head of games)
  • Dan Houser (creative director)
  • Wendy Smith (COO)
Number of employees
~50 (2025)
Subsidiaries Absurd Marin
Website www.absurdventures.com

Absurd Ventures LLC is an American media, entertainment, and video game company headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The company was founded by Dan Houser in February 2021. The company aims to create new intellectual properties across various mediums, including video games, live-action and animated television, film, fiction podcasts, books, and comic books. [1]

Contents

History

Dan Houser founded Absurd Ventures in 2021. Dan Houser at Rockstar Games.png
Dan Houser founded Absurd Ventures in 2021.

After leaving Rockstar Games in 2020, Dan Houser established Absurd Ventures to explore new creative avenues. [3] Houser registered Absurd Ventures LLC in Delaware on February 17, 2021, and incorporated Absurd Ventures in Games in Altrincham on June 23. [2] He announced the company in June 2023, headquartered in Santa Monica, California, emphasizing the company's mission to "create new universes and to tell great stories, wherever and however we can". [3] [4] Several other former Rockstar employees joined Absurd Ventures, including marketing executive Adam Tedman in 2022, producer Lazlow Jones in June 2023, [5] and writer Michael Unsworth in October. [6] Wendy Smith, formerly of Creative Artists Agency, joined the company as chief operating officer in November. [7] Pandemic Studios co-founder Greg Borrud is the company's head of games. [5]

In September 2024, Absurd Ventures expanded its operations by establishing a new studio named Absurd Marin, based in San Rafael, California. [8] This studio was formed by integrating members from the former Ascendant Studios team, known for their work on Immortals of Aveum . Bret Robbins, the founder and game director of Ascendant Studios, was appointed as the head of Absurd Marin. The team, comprising approximately 20 developers from Immortals of Aveum, is currently working on a story-driven action-adventure game based on an unannounced new intellectual property. [9] In December 2024, Absurd Ventures secured a strategic investment from South Korean game development and publishing company Smilegate. [10]

In 2024, the company partnered with QCode to release A Better Paradise, an audio fiction series exploring themes of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The series debuted at number one on Apple's Fiction charts. [11] [12] In 2025, Absurd Ventures is set to release American Caper, a comic book series set to introduce a crime-fiction universe. [13] In January 2025, the company unveiled the "Absurdaverse", featuring a diverse mix of characters. This initiative includes animation projects and an upcoming story-driven action-comedy adventure game. [14] [15] It revealed its first novel, Houser's A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath, in March; an adaptation of the audio series, it is set to be distributed by Simon & Schuster in 2025. [16] A video game in the A Better Paradise universe is in development. [15] Houser felt the serious tone of A Better Paradise made it suitable as an audio series, novel, television series, and video game, while the Absurdaverse was more suited to animation and a video game, and American Caper to a comic book and trade paperback. [15] The company had approximately 50 employees across its two studios as of 2025. [17]

Projects

YearTitleTypeSeriesRef.
2024A Better ParadisePodcast seriesA Better Paradise [18]
2025American CaperGraphic novelAmerican Caper [13]
A Better Paradise Volume One: An AftermathNovelA Better Paradise [16]
TBAUntitled animated seriesSeriesAbsurdaverse [15]
Untitled bookTrade paperbackAmerican Caper [15]
Untitled action-adventure gameVideo gameAbsurdaverse [19]
Untitled gameVideo gameA Better Paradise [15]

References

  1. ↑ Lyles, Taylor (June 15, 2023). "Rockstar Games Co-Founder Dan Houser Announces New Studio, Absurd Ventures". IGN. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Scullion, Chris (July 2, 2021). "Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser has founded a new studio". Video Games Chronicle . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  3. 1 2 McWhertor, Michael (January 31, 2025). "Rockstar Games co-founder teases his new game in absurd, Rockstar style". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  4. ↑ Carnevale, Robert (June 15, 2023). "Rockstar Games Cofounder Dan Houser Launches Media Company Absurd Ventures". TheWrap. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Chalk, Andy (November 28, 2023). "Rockstar veterans Michael Unsworth and Lazlow Jones have joined Dan Houser's new studio". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  6. ↑ Wales, Matt (November 29, 2023). "Red Dead Redemption writer joins Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser's studio". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  7. ↑ Maas, Jennifer (November 10, 2023). "Rockstar Games Co-Founder Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures Taps CAA Vet Wendy Smith as COO (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  8. ↑ Dealessandri, Marie (September 13, 2024). "Absurd Ventures launches new studio with Ascendant Studios staff". GamesIndustry.biz . Gamer Network . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ Chalk, Andy (September 13, 2024). "Immortals of Aveum developers find a new home at Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures studio". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ Blake, Vikki (December 3, 2024). "Smilegate makes strategic investment in Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ Nawotka, Ed. "Rockstar Games Cofounder Novelizes Popular Podcast for New Imprint". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ Saunders, Tristram Fane (June 19, 2024). "This toe-curling sci-fi podcast proves good audio drama needs more than money and stars". The Telegraph . Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  13. 1 2 DiCarlo, J. W. (November 30, 2023). "Rockstar Co-Founder Reveals New Studio's First Projects". Game Rant. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (January 31, 2025). "Rockstar Games co-founder teases his new game in absurd, Rockstar style". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nawotka, Ed (March 11, 2025). "London Book Fair 2025: Q&A with Dan Houser, Video Game Creator Turned Author". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  16. 1 2 Tantimedh, Adi (March 2, 2025). "A Better Paradise: Rockstar Co-Founder Dan Houser's Podcast Gets Novel". Bleeding Cool . Avatar Press. Archived from the original on March 2, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  17. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (January 16, 2025). "How GTA pioneer Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures will make great worlds with strong storytelling". VentureBeat . Archived from the original on January 24, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  18. ↑ Cripe, Michael (May 16, 2024). "First Project From Rockstar Co-Founder's Studio Is an Audio Fiction Series Starring Andrew Lincoln". IGN. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  19. ↑ Dastoor, Vaspaan (February 3, 2025). "GTA Creator Reveals New Project Called Absurdaverse". TheGamer. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
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