LA Noire Director Rejoins Rockstar Before GTA 6 Launch; Studio Acquires and Renames GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition Developer to Rockstar Australia

Rockstar Games is making strategic moves in anticipation of the highly awaited GTA 6. They’ve added a new feather to their cap by acquiring the Sydney-based developer Video Games Deluxe. This studio, which already worked alongside Rockstar on The GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition, will now be known as Rockstar Australia.

This acquisition marks the return of Brendan McNamara, the director of LA Noire, to Rockstar. McNamara set up Video Games Deluxe after leaving Team Bondi, the original studio behind LA Noire, which unfortunately closed its doors.

According to Rockstar Games’ head of publishing, Jennifer Kolbe, this merger feels like a natural progression after many years of close collaboration. She expressed her excitement through a statement released via BusinessWire, emphasizing the promise this new partnership holds.

Previously, Video Games Deluxe has collaborated with Rockstar on projects like the re-release of LA Noire and its VR Case Files, and more recently on improving The GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition. This particular update followed criticism of the original version’s quality, with much of the blame landing on another studio, Grove Street Games. This situation led to some friction, with Grove Street Games’ CEO criticizing the handling of credits.

Bringing Video Games Deluxe into the Rockstar family also means Brendan McNamara is back on board. He originally founded Team Bondi and later faced challenges over reports of challenging work environments and harsh deadlines. McNamara addressed these issues at that time.

Reflecting on this new chapter, McNamara expressed his excitement, stating it’s been a privilege to work with Rockstar over the past years and looks forward to continuing to create exceptional games as part of Rockstar Australia.

While it’s unclear if Rockstar Australia will be directly involved in GTA 6’s development, it certainly seems plausible. Considering the game’s release is tentatively slated for the fall, their involvement would align with Rockstar’s current direction.

As for GTA 6’s arrival on PC, the timeline remains uncertain. Although there were some fleeting comments from a company executive about the release, they were quickly retracted, leaving fervent PC gamers awaiting further news.