Grand Theft Auto studio Rockstar has announced that it will acquire Video Games Deluxe, the studio founded by former Team Bondi head and LA Noire director Brendan McNamara.
In a press release, Rockstar confirms the acquisition and also announces that Video Games Deluxe will be renamed to Rockstar Australia. The two studios don’t reveal what they’ll be working on together.
For his part, McNamara says his studio is “thrilled” to be a part of Rockstar and that the newly-minted Australian wing will “continue [its] efforts to make the best games possible”. Rockstar publishing head Jennifer Kolbe, meanwhile, says it’s “exciting” to add Rockstar Australia to the studio’s lineup.
If you’re wondering where you’ve heard Video Games Deluxe’s name before, it’s the studio responsible for the 2017 re-release of LA Noire, which saw the game ported to consoles complete with all of its previously-released DLC.
The studio is also responsible for creating that same year’s LA Noire: The VR Case Files, which serves as a sort of remake-slash-reimagining of the original LA Noire. It follows the same story, but its cases are unique and built from the ground up for VR.
Along with its work on LA Noire, Video Games Deluxe also worked on the mobile versions of the ill-received Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, although it’s not the developer originally responsible for creating those remasters.
Last we heard, Video Games Deluxe was working on an open-world game for Rockstar, although we haven’t heard much about that project since it was first unveiled back in 2020. It isn’t mentioned in the press release, either, so presumably the two studios aren’t ready to reveal it yet.
As for Rockstar, the studio is currently gearing up for the release of tentpole sandbox game Grand Theft Auto 6, which is currently expected to land in fall (although no official release date has been given for the game yet).
The GTA publisher also recently released a long-awaited update for the PC version of GTA 5, adding previously console-exclusive features and technical improvements to the game.
