LA Noire Director Rejoins Rockstar Prior to GTA 6 Announcement; Studio Acquires GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition Developer, Rebranding it as Rockstar Australia

Rockstar Games has just taken a significant step forward in preparation for the highly anticipated release of GTA 6 by acquiring Sydney-based developer Video Games Deluxe. Known for their collaboration on “The GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition,” Video Games Deluxe is now officially rebranded as Rockstar Australia.

This acquisition also marks the return of Brendan McNamara, the director behind LA Noire, to Rockstar’s ranks. After leaving Team Bondi, which has since closed down, McNamara went on to establish Video Games Deluxe, and now he rejoins Rockstar with this strategic move.

In an official statement provided to BusinessWire, Rockstar Games’ head of publishing, Jennifer Kolbe, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, saying, “After working together closely over many years, we are excited to have Video Games Deluxe join the team as Rockstar Australia.”

Video Games Deluxe and Rockstar have previously joined forces on several projects, including the LA Noire re-release and its VR Case Files, as well as contributing to a recent update for The GTA Trilogy: Definitive Edition. It’s worth noting that this update followed widespread criticism of the original version by a different studio, Grove Street Games—criticism harsh enough that Grove Street Games’ CEO remarked about the removal of their name from the project being somewhat underhanded.

The move to bring Video Games Deluxe into the Rockstar family also means welcoming back McNamara, whose previous studio, Team Bondi, faced scrutiny back in 2011 over allegations of poor working conditions and excessive crunch periods. McNamara addressed those issues when they emerged.

Reflecting on this new chapter, McNamara said, “It’s been an honor to work closely with Rockstar Games this past decade. We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible.”

While it’s uncertain whether Rockstar Australia will be directly involved in the development of GTA 6, the partnership certainly sets a promising scene—especially with the game eyeing a fall release for consoles. As of now, Rockstar hasn’t disclosed a PC release date, despite some speculative remarks from a company executive which were quickly retracted.

In any case, this acquisition seems to be a strategic move by Rockstar as they continue to prepare for one of the gaming industry’s most anticipated releases.