The anticipation surrounding Rockstar Games’ future projects continues to build as speculation about Red Dead Redemption 3 intensifies. Dan Houser, the co-founder and former lead writer for Rockstar Games, recently shared his thoughts on the potential development of the next Red Dead installment. While Houser, who departed the company over five years ago, has expressed confidence in the quality of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, he admits that hearing about a new Red Dead game in development without his involvement would be more poignant.
Dan Houser Reflects on His Legacy
The 2018 release of Red Dead Redemption 2 cemented its place as one of the most celebrated video games ever. Houser, who was the lead writer on this epic western among many other Rockstar titles, recently discussed his emotional connection to the series. In an interview with the Lex Fridman podcast, Houser revealed that the thought of a new Red Dead installment carries a deeper emotional weight for him compared to the next GTA.
Houser explained, “Letting go of something I worked on for around 20 years, writing on all of them, is a big change. Since each GTA game told a standalone story, it’s not quite the same as Red Dead, which is a cohesive two-game arc. It might be more sad to hear someone else is working on that. But again, that will probably happen too. I don’t own the IP. It’s a privilege to work on stuff, but you don’t necessarily own it.”
The Future of the Red Dead Series
Is Red Dead Redemption 3 on the horizon? While Houser suggests that the series will continue, it’s essential to remember the franchise started with Red Dead Revolver in 2004. Rockstar might choose to innovate with a new sub-series when the time comes.
In 2023, Roger Clark, the actor who brought Arthur Morgan to life in Red Dead Redemption 2, shared his belief that a third installment will eventually arrive. He asserted fans will see Red Dead Redemption 3 “one day,” but acknowledged uncertainty about the timeline. Notably, Clark ruled out the return of his character, Arthur Morgan, in any future installment, hinting that Rockstar could revisit a prequel format.
Clark stated, “I’m certain we will see Red Redemption 3 one day. When that will be — I have absolutely no idea. Don’t count on Arthur’s involvement either. His story has been told, I feel.”
In another interview, Clark expanded on his insights: “Yeah, that got really picked up! I would have thought that was obvious though. Wouldn’t you? And it’s not like I have any insider information whatsoever, but of course there’s going to be another Red Dead. It sold over 60 million copies!”
He continued, “Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two said it himself. He said GTA and Red Dead are prominent franchises for Rockstar Games and that they will be returning to them in the future. So there’s no doubt there will be another Red Dead. But if Arthur Morgan will be involved? I highly doubt it, to be honest. And I think it’s going to be quite some time before we even see a snifter of anything new Red Dead related. I have no idea how it would pan out, but I wouldn’t bet on Arthur being a part of it.”
For now, the focus remains on GTA 6, which is expected to release in May 2026.