Ahead of the massive GTA 6 release, Rockstar Games has announced the acquisition of Video Games Deluxe, a Sydney-based games developer that has deep ties to the company
As the studio gears up for its largest release to date, and perhaps the biggest release in the history of the gaming industry, the publisher and developer are acquiring some extra manpower down under. Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar’s head of publishing, announced the acquisition. “After working together closely over many years, we are excited to have Video Games Deluxe join the team as Rockstar Australia,” she said.
Video Games Deluxe was founded in 2013 by Brandon McNamara, a developer who wrote and directed the detective thriller L.A. Noire at his previous studio, Team Bondi. While L.A. Noire took just over seven years to develop due to technological limitations and a lofty script, Rockstar eventually ended up publishing the title and the game became a fantastic success. Even so, relations between Team Bondi and Rockstar fell apart when anonymous reports were shared about the poor working conditions and long hours Team Bondi staff faced while developing L.A. Noire.
Following these reports, Rockstar didn’t publish Team Bondi’s next game, and communication between the two studios was completely cut off. Despite these differences, McNamara went on to form Video Games Deluxe and has also continued to work with Rockstar. The Australian studio created many of the L.A. Noire remasters, developed technology for L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, and worked closely on upgrading Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition for both iOS and Android.
“We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible,” McNamara said when asked about the acquisition. Now that Video Game Deluxe has been acquired, it will go by the name Rockstar Australia and serve as the studio’s Australian location.
While the press release celebrated the acquisition, there is no official information that details what Rockstar Australia will be working on in the future. Even without any official confirmation, it’s safe to assume Rockstar needs all the manpower it can get for the release of GTA 6.
There still isn’t an official release date for the game, but we do know GTA 6 is slated to release some time in the Fall or Winter of 2025 after Take-Two Interactive declared its financial earnings at the end of 2024. During this press conference, Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar, listed GTA 6 as a 2025 release, at least according to their plans and projections.
Still, studios always face unforeseen delays, so it’s no surprise Rockstar is bolstering its ranks in preparation for this awesome release.
