Grand Theft Auto 6 has been the subject of numerous Rockstar teases, and it appears that the game’s announcement is imminent. But in a startling turn of events, the studio’s chief writer appears to have left his position.
Michael Unsworth worked on a number of hit titles at Rockstar.
According to reports, Rockstar Games’ vice president of writing Michael Unsworth has departed the company. As of this writing, neither Rockstar nor its parent company Take-Two Interactive have officially acknowledged the departure. Unsworth has since left Rockstar, as evidenced by an update to his LinkedIn profile.
Grand Theft Auto 4, Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Max Payne 3 were all written by Unsworth during his 16 years at Rockstar, giving him a highly significant body of work. We assume that before leaving the firm, he contributed to Grand Theft Auto 6.Since GTA 6 has been in development for a while, Unsworth would have undoubtedly left his imprint on the game before leaving.
BREAKING:
Vice President of writing at Rockstar Games Michael Unsworth appears to have left the company after 16 years, at least according to his LinkedIn.
He’s most notable for writing both Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II, Grand Theft Auto IV & V, Max Payne 3, pic.twitter.com/ntR7qQznvN
SWEGTA (@SWEGTA) August 26, 2023
The most recent departure from the Grand Theft Auto series authors is Unsworth’s resignation. Shortly after Red Dead Online’s March 2020 release, Dan Houser quit the studio. In August 2020, Jeffrey Crawford “Lazlow” Jones (yes, THAT Lazlow) also quit Rockstar. The three primary authors of Rockstar’s most recent games, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5, are Unsworth, Houser, and Rupert Humphries. Humphries apparently still has ties to the production company.
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On the PS5 subreddit, Grand Theft Auto fans are mourning the departure of important Rockstar personnel. Users are concerned that Grand Theft Auto 6’s narrative may lack the complexity of GTA5 and Red Dead 2’s. Others worry that the studio may cut the single-player campaign short and concentrate more on GTA 6’s online component without the series’ well-known writers.
However, several people point out that Grand Theft Auto 6’s narrative would have ended by this time. Given how frequently GTA 6 information leaked last year, it is reasonable to infer that the majority of the game’s plot has already been developed.
With Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick apparently hinting at the release schedule for the much anticipated sequel, the GTA6 rumor mill has been humming lately. Take-Two intends to generate $8 billion in revenue during the fiscal year 2025, according to Zelnick. The only game in Rockstar’s pipeline that has the potential to produce that many sales is Grand Theft Auto 6.
For the time being, Grand Theft Auto 6 fans will have to wait for the game’s formal announcement. The forthcoming game may be revealed at The Game Awards in December and published around the holidays, according to rumors.