Rockstar Games has announced the acquisition of Video Games Deluxe, a Sydney-based studio founded by Brendan McNamara, and will rename it Rockstar Australia. Take-Two Interactive confirmed the deal on March 3 via an official post. The team includes former Team Bondi developers, but Video Games Deluxe is a separate studio.
Founded by industry veteran Brendan McNamara, the studio has worked on several high-profile projects, including the 2017 re-releases of L.A. Noire and L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files. McNamara's former studio, Team Bondi, developed the original L.A. Noire in 2011. Most recently, they were instrumental in upgrading Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition for iOS, Android, Netflix, and modern consoles, which ruffled the feathers of the folks over at Grove Street Games, the primary developers of the said compilation.
As part of the acquisition, Video Games Deluxe will be rebranded as Rockstar Australia, becoming the tenth subsidiary studio under the Rockstar umbrella. The acquisition comes at a crucial time for Rockstar and Take-Two, as they gear up to release Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year.
While it's unclear what specific role the newly acquired studio will play in the development of GTA 6 if any, its expertise in remastering and porting games could prove valuable for future projects and updates. With the increasing demand for remasters and ports of classic games, having a dedicated studio with expertise in this area gives Rockstar a valuable asset.
Perhaps Rockstar could tap the studio to work on the long-rumored Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster or a next-gen version of Red Dead Redemption 2, a project hinted at by the same anonymous developer who claimed that GTA 6 is still on track for a 2025 launch. Alternatively, our guess would be working on the PC port of GTA 6.
Either release could prove successful for Rockstar. Both are some of the most successful franchises in video game history. Grand Theft Auto, in particular, recently crossed 440 million units sold worldwide, with Grand Theft Auto 5 accounting for nearly half of it. A re-release of GTA 4 on modern consoles, including beloved expansions like The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, could push the financial needle further and move the series closer to the 500 million mark.
So, while it's unlikely that Rockstar Australia will play a significant role in the development of GTA 6 at this late stage, their expertise should come in handy for post-launch support, potential remasters, or even spin-off projects. Speaking of GTA 6, WWE superstar John Cena proved that he's in on the memes after posting the official artwork of the upcoming game on his Instagram account.
