Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser spoke at the Tribeca Festival 2026 panel and stated that he sees no problem with players not always reaching the final credits in open-world projects.
Houser noted that developers still try to guide the audience to the story and make the main plot more appealing to complete. At the same time, he emphasized that players should have a choice: follow the story or simply explore the world at their own pace.
The statement was made at the “Luminaries: Dan Houser’s Absurd Ventures” panel, where Houser and his long-time co-author discussed their approach to world-building and the development of stories beyond video games. The session was part of the Tribeca Festival 2026 program and took place during the Storytelling Summit in New York.
Houser is essentially defending the open-world model, where the value of a game is determined not only by a linear plot but also by the freedom of behavior within the world. In light of Absurd Ventures' work on new open-world projects, these words can also be seen as a description of the studio's creative philosophy.
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