Rockstar Games’ Writing Vice President Has Reportedly Left After 16 Years

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Avinash Jaisrani

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Rockstar Games is home to some of the most talented and experienced developers in the industry. With a history of critically acclaimed releases like GTA 5, Max Payne 3, and more, the studio brings together some of the greatest minds in gaming.

Rockstar Games has experienced developers in all positions, leading to releases shining in all aspects, from narrative and story-telling to gameplay. One such developer was Michael Unsworth, who joined the company 16 years ago and served as the Vice President of Writing.

However, a new report claims that Michael Unsworth has concluded his journey with the studio, departing after 16 years of writing.

Why it matters: Losing a veteran developer may negatively impact future games from the studio.

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 former Rockstar Games developer’s LinkedIn profile appears to have been updated recently, hinting that he is no longer part of the studio.

As noted by a user on GTAForums, the writing for GTA 6 has most likely been completed and set in stone. Therefore, while a massive loss for the company, this departure is unlikely to negatively impact the studio’s upcoming release.

Take-Two has teased an early 2025 release for GTA 6 at the latest, which means that the game is currently in the final stages of production after being in development for nearly a decade.

However, Michael Unsworth’s loss will likely be felt in Rockstar Games’ future projects after GTA 6. A few years ago, another veteran developer, Dan Houser, left the studio after nearly two decades.

Dan Houser was the co-founder of Rockstar Games and a massive part of the current success of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. In addition to Dan Houser, Michael Unsworth’s departure marks yet another major loss to the studio.

With developers like Leslie Benzies also leaving Rockstar Games, the studio is slowly beginning to lose much of the talent that ensured earlier Grand Theft Auto entries redefined parts of the open-world genre of games.

However, the studio has given fans little reason for concern, with recent titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 continuing to live up to the high benchmark set by previous releases.

Avinash Jaisrani

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