The short answer: there are two games, not one mystery project
Dan Houser and Lazlow Jones told IGN at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2026 that Absurd Ventures is working on two video games and that both are open-world projects. Houser described one as a comedy action-adventure and said the other is definitely less of a comedy. That short answer fits announcements the company and its partners have made over the previous eighteen months.
The serious project is a science-fiction action-adventure set in the A Better Paradise universe. The comedy project is a story-driven action-comedy set in Absurdaverse. They are separate games, built around different fictional worlds and tones. Neither has a public title, release date or platform list, so any more detailed launch claim is speculation rather than confirmed information.
Game one is the science-fiction world of A Better Paradise
Smilegate announced in August 2025 that it would globally publish Absurd Ventures' upcoming AAA open-world science-fiction action-adventure set in A Better Paradise. The announcement said Smilegate would fund the project and described it as being in early development. Dan Houser is writing and providing creative direction, with longtime collaborators Lazlow Jones and Michael Unsworth also named on the creative team.
A Better Paradise already exists outside games, which gives the announcement more context than a project codename. The universe began as an audio-fiction series and became a novel published by Absurd Ventures in October 2025. Its official synopsis follows an ambitious, addictive video-game project whose software produces disturbing and unexpected results. That premise identifies the fictional universe, but it does not prove that the coming game will retell the audio series or novel.
Game two is the comedy-satire universe called Absurdaverse
Absurd Ventures introduced Absurdaverse as an interconnected comedy-satire universe spanning animation and an original game. The game has been described publicly as a story-driven action-comedy adventure and, in later announcements, as an untitled AAA story-driven open-world project. That matches Houser's Comic-Con description of one of the studio's two games as the comedy action-adventure.
The company has revealed characters and performers for Absurdaverse animation, but that does not amount to a gameplay demonstration. Shared characters or themes may connect its formats, yet the precise setting, playable character, map, mission structure and combat systems remain unannounced. The useful fact is that this is the lighter-toned game; the promotional details available so far do not support a claim that it will play like Grand Theft Auto.
Dan Houser is not developing Grand Theft Auto 6
Houser co-founded Rockstar Games and was a major writer and producer across Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Bully and Max Payne 3. He left Rockstar in early 2020 and later founded Absurd Ventures. His history explains the attention around every new open-world project he discusses, but it does not make either new game a Rockstar production.
He has also said publicly that he did not write Grand Theft Auto 6 and did not develop its characters. Searches that combine his name with GTA 6 therefore mix two different stories: his past work at Rockstar and his current work at Absurd Ventures. A Better Paradise and Absurdaverse are original universes owned and developed outside Rockstar, not secret names for GTA projects or sequels.
American Caper is real, but it is not a confirmed third game
Absurd Ventures is deliberately building stories across several formats. American Caper is its crime-fiction universe, launched as a comic series written by Houser with additional writing by Jones. Because it shares the same company and creative team, lists of Absurd Ventures projects sometimes place it beside the two games and make the catalogue look like three game announcements.
No source checked for this article identifies American Caper as either of the two open-world games. Smilegate's announcement distinguishes A Better Paradise, American Caper and Absurdaverse as three original intellectual-property universes, while only A Better Paradise is attached there to the published game agreement. American Caper should therefore be treated as a current comic project unless the company makes a separate game announcement.
The physical-games comment did not confirm a disc edition
The latest search spike around Houser began after the Comic-Con conversation turned to physical media. He said companies should provide games on disc if people want that option, while also noting that digital updates have helped developers fix problems and improve game quality. Jones spoke about both the convenience of downloads and the satisfaction of holding a finished physical comic.
That exchange expressed a view about the industry; it did not announce how either Absurd Ventures game will be sold. With no platforms, release window or edition details published, there is no basis for claiming a disc release, a digital-only launch or a particular storefront. The distinction matters because a general opinion can easily be transformed into a false product promise as headlines circulate.
What remains unknown is longer than what has been revealed
There are no confirmed release dates or release years for either game. Platforms, prices, age ratings, multiplayer options, engine, map size and business model have not been announced. A Better Paradise was described as being in early development in August 2025, and an early-stage publishing agreement cannot be converted into a reliable countdown by comparing it with another studio's production schedule.
The absence of footage also limits comparisons. Open world describes a broad structural idea, not one specific kind of game. It can support dense cities, wilderness, simulation, role-playing, linear stories with optional exploration or dozens of other designs. Houser's Rockstar history may shape expectations, but it cannot tell us whether either project has driving, crime systems, online play or a GTA-style mission loop.
The most interesting confirmed clue is the two-tone strategy
What can be seen already is a deliberate contrast. A Better Paradise uses near-future science fiction to explore technology, ambition and an artificial world that escapes its creators' control. Absurdaverse is being introduced through comedy, satire and a large ensemble of eccentric characters. Developing both allows the company to test two different storytelling identities rather than making every new universe imitate Houser's previous work.
The projects also show how Absurd Ventures is working from story worlds outward. Audio fiction and a novel established A Better Paradise before its game was ready to show; animation is introducing Absurdaverse while its game remains in development. That approach can create deeper worlds, but it does not guarantee that every format will share one plot. For now, the accurate answer is simple: two open worlds are confirmed, and almost every launch detail is still waiting for a real announcement.
Sources and further reading
This article was written for Curiosity Desk. We do not copy other publishers or invent quotes. If a material error is found, we correct it openly.
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