Latest news with #AbsurdVentures
UPI
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Smilegate joins with Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures to publish new game
Smilegate is famous for such flagship franchises as Lost Ark (shown) and Crossfire. Absurd Ventures is an entertainment company founded by Houser, a renowned game producer who made the Grand Theft Auto series. Image courtesy of Smilegate SEOUL, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- South Korean game company Smilegate announced Thursday it would partner with Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures to globally publish a new open-world, science-fiction action game, A Better Paradise. Smilegate is famous for such flagship franchises as Crossfire and Lost Ark. Absurd Ventures is an entertainment company founded by Houser, a game producer who made the Grand Theft Auto series. Smilegate noted that the upcoming video game is currently in early development directed by Houser and his team, including many long-time collaborators like Lazlow and Michael Unsworth. Smilegate plans to fully support the project, providing development funds. The deal occurred after the Korean company made an equity investment in Absurd Ventures last year. "This new game is an opportunity to go somewhere entirely different and to take players on an entirely new adventure," Houser said in a statement. Smilegate CEO Sung Joon-ho also expressed high hopes for the project. "Through our partnership with Absurd, we will fully support the A Better Paradise game project and [will] do our utmost to help create a new title that will be loved by players around the world," Sung said. "Smilegate will leverage its extensive experience and success in global markets to ensure the project becomes a beloved success worldwide," he said. Created by Houser, A Better Paradise will be a fictional universe for stories that span multiple types of media like games books and movies.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Smilegate to publish new sci-fi game from ‘GTA' creator Dan Houser
Korean gaming giant Smilegate said Thursday it had signed a global publishing agreement with Absurd Ventures, the entertainment company founded by Dan Houser, the former creative director and lead writer of the "Grand Theft Auto" series. Under the deal, Smilegate will publish Absurd Ventures' upcoming AAA open-world sci-fi game, set in the studio's original 'A Better Paradise' universe. The action-adventure game is currently in early development and led by Houser alongside longtime collaborators Lazlow and Michael Unsworth. Greg Borrud, a veteran director with past experience at Niantic and Pandemic Studios, will oversee development. The "A Better Paradise" universe, known for its rich narrative and ambitious storytelling, already includes the audio fiction series 'A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath,' which topped Apple's fiction charts and won a 2024 Signal Award. A novel based on the series is set to be released in October. The development team includes talent from Bungie, Treyarch, Respawn, Insomniac and Riot — veterans behind titles such as Call of Duty, Destiny 2, Spider-Man 2 and Valorant. In addition to publishing, Smilegate said it plans a full-scale investment in the game, including development funding, following its equity investment in Absurd Ventures last year. 'We're excited to support Absurd's ambitious vision and bring this new IP to global players,' said Smilegate CEO Sung Joon-ho. 'This partnership represents a major step in Smilegate's evolution as a global game publisher.' Houser added, 'We're thrilled to be working with Smilegate, who truly understand our vision for storytelling and player experience.' Smilegate aims to leverage the partnership to expand beyond Asia and establish itself as a major player in the global market for AAA games, a term for polished, high-budget titles put out by major publishing houses.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Smilegate to Publish Absurd Ventures' AAA Open-World Game Set in the A BETTER PARADISE Universe
Smilegate expands partnership with former GTA creative director Dan Houser for global AAA publishing New game set in A Better Paradise universe in development, funded by Smilegate SANTA MONICA, Calif. and SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Smilegate today announced that it has signed an agreement with Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures to globally publish the studio's upcoming AAA, open-world, sci-fi action-adventure game, set in its mind-bending A BETTER PARADISE universe. The partnership follows Smilegate's strategic investment in Absurd Ventures, announced last year. A BETTER PARADISE is an expansive universe created by Absurd Ventures, the company founded by Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser, the former creative director and lead writer of the GRAND THEFT AUTO and RED DEAD REDEMPTION franchises, among others. Building on the studio's talent for crafting incredible narrative worlds and characters, A BETTER PARADISE has already spawned a hit audio fiction series, A BETTER PARADISE Volume One: An Aftermath, which debuted at the top of Apple's Fiction charts and won the 2024 Signal Award for Best Episode of Scripted Fiction. Absurd Ventures is also releasing a novelization of the first volume of A BETTER PARADISE's story, due out in October 2025. Currently in early development, the video game is being written and creative directed by Houser alongside his worldbuilding and creative team which includes longtime collaborators Lazlow, and Michael Unsworth. The game's development at Absurd Ventures is being led by veteran studio head Greg Borrud who was previously General Manager of Niantic and co-founder of Pandemic Studios. Houser and Borrud have been building an elite team at Absurd Ventures studios and the A BETTER PARADISE game project boasts senior game development talent with previous experience from Bungie, Treyarch, Respawn, Insomniac, Riot, and more, with lead credits on best-in-class action and adventure games such as Call of Duty, Destiny 2, Valorant, Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and many others. With a top-tier development team, Absurd is officially in development on this new AAA game, driven by an ambitious and exciting creative vision. The company expects Smilegate's expertise and experience, as proven by its success in the global gaming industry, to bring strong synergy to their strategic publishing partnership. Following its equity investment in Absurd Ventures last year, Smilegate plans to make a full-scale investment, including development funding, into the A BETTER PARADISE project to help ensure its global success. Sung Joon-ho, CEO of Smilegate, said: "We are thrilled to take on this new challenge in the global AAA game market alongside Dan Houser and Absurd. We are confident that the strong storytelling of the ABP universe combined with the development capabilities of the Absurd team will result in an outstanding title. We are a company with a developer-first DNA and truly understand what development studios need," he emphasized. "Through our partnership with Absurd, we will fully support the A Better Paradise game project and do our utmost to help create a new title that will be loved by players around the world. Smilegate will leverage its extensive experience and success in global markets to ensure the ABP project becomes a beloved success worldwide." Dan Houser, founder of Absurd Ventures, stated: "Absurd Ventures was set up to tell new and different kinds of stories, and to create what I hope are interesting and compelling original experiences. This new game is an opportunity to go somewhere entirely different and to take players on an entirely new adventure. I am excited to be going on this journey with the amazing team that we are building here at Absurd Ventures and am grateful that we are partnering with Smilegate who really understand and support our vision." Kwon Hyuk-bin, Chief Visionary Officer of Smilegate, added:"Dan Houser and I have formed a deep friendship through our shared interest in games and the future, and I find it especially meaningful that we are now able to share our creative visions through this collaboration on the A Better Paradise project," he stated. "We're excited to present a title that reflects the vision we've often discussed—one that we hope will deeply resonate with gamers around the world. Through this joint project, Smilegate aims to grow beyond Asia and become a major player in the global gaming industry. Absurd Ventures was advised by Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, P.C. and Fenwick & West LLP in connection with the transaction. Smilegate was advised by DLA Piper. Further details, including the development schedule and platforms, will be announced at a later date. To learn more about the A BETTER PARADISE universe, visit the official website, and follow along with the latest updates on X, Instagram, Bluesky, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and TikTok. About Smilegate Smilegate is a global game development and publishing company headquartered in South Korea with regional offices in the United States, China, and Japan. Its flagship franchise 'CROSSFIRE' is one of the largest and most successful franchises in gaming history. It has more than 1 billion registered users to date in PC and mobile platforms and over 8 million concurrent players globally. Its latest project, 'Lost Ark,' is an MMORPG that was released in South Korea in 2018 and was launched in North America and Europe in February 2021. Lost Ark recorded the number for concurrent players on Steam with over 1.32M. Learn more by visiting About Absurd Ventures Absurd Ventures is a storytelling-driven entertainment company creating original video games, live-action and animated film and television, audio fiction, books, comic books, and more. The company was founded by Dan Houser, who was previously co-founder of Rockstar Games, and the lead creative force behind some of the most successful entertainment properties in history. Absurd Ventures' original IP, created by Houser, includes sci-fi-thriller universe A Better Paradise, crime-fiction universe American Caper, and comedy-satire universe Absurdaverse. Its debut project, an audio fiction series set in the A Better Paradise world, debuted as the #1 fiction podcast on Apple. In 2025, Absurd Ventures will release an American Caper comic book series, an A Better Paradise novel, Absurdaverse animation projects, and more. Absurd Ventures is headquartered in Santa Monica, with additional studio offices in Marin, California. Storytelling. Philanthropy. Ultraviolence. SOURCE Smilegate Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Smilegate to Publish Absurd Ventures' AAA Open-World Game Set in the A BETTER PARADISE Universe
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Smilegate today announced that it has signed an agreement with Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures to globally publish the studio's upcoming AAA, open-world, sci-fi action-adventure game, set in its mind-bending A BETTER PARADISE universe. The partnership follows Smilegate's strategic investment in Absurd Ventures, announced last year. A BETTER PARADISE is an expansive universe created by Absurd Ventures, the company founded by Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser, the former creative director and lead writer of the GRAND THEFT AUTO and RED DEAD REDEMPTION franchises, among others. Building on the studio's talent for crafting incredible narrative worlds and characters, A BETTER PARADISE has already spawned a hit audio fiction series, A BETTER PARADISE Volume One: An Aftermath, which debuted at the top of Apple's Fiction charts and won the 2024 Signal Award for Best Episode of Scripted Fiction. Absurd Ventures is also releasing a novelization of the first volume of A BETTER PARADISE's story, due out in October 2025. Currently in early development, the video game is being written and creative directed by Houser alongside his worldbuilding and creative team which includes longtime collaborators Lazlow, and Michael Unsworth. The game's development at Absurd Ventures is being led by veteran studio head Greg Borrud who was previously General Manager of Niantic and co-founder of Pandemic Studios. Houser and Borrud have been building an elite team at Absurd Ventures studios and the A BETTER PARADISE game project boasts senior game development talent with previous experience from Bungie, Treyarch, Respawn, Insomniac, Riot, and more, with lead credits on best-in-class action and adventure games such as Call of Duty, Destiny 2, Valorant, Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and many others. With a top-tier development team, Absurd is officially in development on this new AAA game, driven by an ambitious and exciting creative vision. The company expects Smilegate's expertise and experience, as proven by its success in the global gaming industry, to bring strong synergy to their strategic publishing partnership. Following its equity investment in Absurd Ventures last year, Smilegate plans to make a full-scale investment, including development funding, into the A BETTER PARADISE project to help ensure its global success. Sung Joon-ho, CEO of Smilegate, said: "We are thrilled to take on this new challenge in the global AAA game market alongside Dan Houser and Absurd. We are confident that the strong storytelling of the ABP universe combined with the development capabilities of the Absurd team will result in an outstanding title. We are a company with a developer-first DNA and truly understand what development studios need," he emphasized. "Through our partnership with Absurd, we will fully support the A Better Paradise game project and do our utmost to help create a new title that will be loved by players around the world. Smilegate will leverage its extensive experience and success in global markets to ensure the ABP project becomes a beloved success worldwide." Dan Houser, founder of Absurd Ventures, stated: "Absurd Ventures was set up to tell new and different kinds of stories, and to create what I hope are interesting and compelling original experiences. This new game is an opportunity to go somewhere entirely different and to take players on an entirely new adventure. I am excited to be going on this journey with the amazing team that we are building here at Absurd Ventures and am grateful that we are partnering with Smilegate who really understand and support our vision." Kwon Hyuk-bin, Chief Visionary Officer of Smilegate, added: "Dan Houser and I have formed a deep friendship through our shared interest in games and the future, and I find it especially meaningful that we are now able to share our creative visions through this collaboration on the A Better Paradise project," he stated. "We're excited to present a title that reflects the vision we've often discussed—one that we hope will deeply resonate with gamers around the world. Through this joint project, Smilegate aims to grow beyond Asia and become a major player in the global gaming industry. Absurd Ventures was advised by Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, P.C. and Fenwick & West LLP in connection with the transaction. Smilegate was advised by DLA Piper. Further details, including the development schedule and platforms, will be announced at a later date. To learn more about the A BETTER PARADISE universe, visit the official website, and follow along with the latest updates on X, Instagram, Bluesky, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and TikTok. About Smilegate Smilegate is a global game development and publishing company headquartered in South Korea with regional offices in the United States, China, and Japan. Its flagship franchise 'CROSSFIRE' is one of the largest and most successful franchises in gaming history. It has more than 1 billion registered users to date in PC and mobile platforms and over 8 million concurrent players globally. Its latest project, 'Lost Ark,' is an MMORPG that was released in South Korea in 2018 and was launched in North America and Europe in February 2021. Lost Ark recorded the number for concurrent players on Steam with over 1.32M. Learn more by visiting About Absurd Ventures Absurd Ventures is a storytelling-driven entertainment company creating original video games, live-action and animated film and television, audio fiction, books, comic books, and more. The company was founded by Dan Houser, who was previously co-founder of Rockstar Games, and the lead creative force behind some of the most successful entertainment properties in history. Absurd Ventures' original IP, created by Houser, includes sci-fi-thriller universe A Better Paradise, crime-fiction universe American Caper, and comedy-satire universe Absurdaverse. Its debut project, an audio fiction series set in the A Better Paradise world, debuted as the #1 fiction podcast on Apple. In 2025, Absurd Ventures will release an American Caper comic book series, an A Better Paradise novel, Absurdaverse animation projects, and more. Absurd Ventures is headquartered in Santa Monica, with additional studio offices in Marin, California.
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
Smilegate to Publish Absurd Ventures' AAA Open-World Game Set in the A BETTER PARADISE Universe
Smilegate expands partnership with former GTA creative director Dan Houser for global AAA publishing New game set in A Better Paradise universe in development, funded by Smilegate SANTA MONICA, Calif. and SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 6, 2025 /CNW/ -- Smilegate today announced that it has signed an agreement with Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures to globally publish the studio's upcoming AAA, open-world, sci-fi action-adventure game, set in its mind-bending A BETTER PARADISE universe. The partnership follows Smilegate's strategic investment in Absurd Ventures, announced last year. A BETTER PARADISE is an expansive universe created by Absurd Ventures, the company founded by Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser, the former creative director and lead writer of the GRAND THEFT AUTO and RED DEAD REDEMPTION franchises, among others. Building on the studio's talent for crafting incredible narrative worlds and characters, A BETTER PARADISE has already spawned a hit audio fiction series, A BETTER PARADISE Volume One: An Aftermath, which debuted at the top of Apple's Fiction charts and won the 2024 Signal Award for Best Episode of Scripted Fiction. Absurd Ventures is also releasing a novelization of the first volume of A BETTER PARADISE's story, due out in October 2025. Currently in early development, the video game is being written and creative directed by Houser alongside his worldbuilding and creative team which includes longtime collaborators Lazlow, and Michael Unsworth. The game's development at Absurd Ventures is being led by veteran studio head Greg Borrud who was previously General Manager of Niantic and co-founder of Pandemic Studios. Houser and Borrud have been building an elite team at Absurd Ventures studios and the A BETTER PARADISE game project boasts senior game development talent with previous experience from Bungie, Treyarch, Respawn, Insomniac, Riot, and more, with lead credits on best-in-class action and adventure games such as Call of Duty, Destiny 2, Valorant, Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and many others. With a top-tier development team, Absurd is officially in development on this new AAA game, driven by an ambitious and exciting creative vision. The company expects Smilegate's expertise and experience, as proven by its success in the global gaming industry, to bring strong synergy to their strategic publishing partnership. Following its equity investment in Absurd Ventures last year, Smilegate plans to make a full-scale investment, including development funding, into the A BETTER PARADISE project to help ensure its global success. Sung Joon-ho, CEO of Smilegate, said: "We are thrilled to take on this new challenge in the global AAA game market alongside Dan Houser and Absurd. We are confident that the strong storytelling of the ABP universe combined with the development capabilities of the Absurd team will result in an outstanding title. We are a company with a developer-first DNA and truly understand what development studios need," he emphasized. "Through our partnership with Absurd, we will fully support the A Better Paradise game project and do our utmost to help create a new title that will be loved by players around the world. Smilegate will leverage its extensive experience and success in global markets to ensure the ABP project becomes a beloved success worldwide." Dan Houser, founder of Absurd Ventures, stated: "Absurd Ventures was set up to tell new and different kinds of stories, and to create what I hope are interesting and compelling original experiences. This new game is an opportunity to go somewhere entirely different and to take players on an entirely new adventure. I am excited to be going on this journey with the amazing team that we are building here at Absurd Ventures and am grateful that we are partnering with Smilegate who really understand and support our vision." Kwon Hyuk-bin, Chief Visionary Officer of Smilegate, added: "Dan Houser and I have formed a deep friendship through our shared interest in games and the future, and I find it especially meaningful that we are now able to share our creative visions through this collaboration on the A Better Paradise project," he stated. "We're excited to present a title that reflects the vision we've often discussed—one that we hope will deeply resonate with gamers around the world. Through this joint project, Smilegate aims to grow beyond Asia and become a major player in the global gaming industry. Absurd Ventures was advised by Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, P.C. and Fenwick & West LLP in connection with the transaction. Smilegate was advised by DLA Piper. Further details, including the development schedule and platforms, will be announced at a later date. To learn more about the A BETTER PARADISE universe, visit the official website, and follow along with the latest updates on X, Instagram, Bluesky, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and TikTok. About Smilegate Smilegate is a global game development and publishing company headquartered in South Korea with regional offices in the United States, China, and Japan. Its flagship franchise 'CROSSFIRE' is one of the largest and most successful franchises in gaming history. It has more than 1 billion registered users to date in PC and mobile platforms and over 8 million concurrent players globally. Its latest project, 'Lost Ark,' is an MMORPG that was released in South Korea in 2018 and was launched in North America and Europe in February 2021. Lost Ark recorded the number for concurrent players on Steam with over 1.32M. Learn more by visiting About Absurd Ventures Absurd Ventures is a storytelling-driven entertainment company creating original video games, live-action and animated film and television, audio fiction, books, comic books, and more. The company was founded by Dan Houser, who was previously co-founder of Rockstar Games, and the lead creative force behind some of the most successful entertainment properties in history. Absurd Ventures' original IP, created by Houser, includes sci-fi-thriller universe A Better Paradise, crime-fiction universe American Caper, and comedy-satire universe Absurdaverse. Its debut project, an audio fiction series set in the A Better Paradise world, debuted as the #1 fiction podcast on Apple. In 2025, Absurd Ventures will release an American Caper comic book series, an A Better Paradise novel, Absurdaverse animation projects, and more. Absurd Ventures is headquartered in Santa Monica, with additional studio offices in Marin, California. Storytelling. Philanthropy. Ultraviolence.
