7 Ups & 4 Downs For Gaming In 2020 (So Far)

3. Dan Houser Leaves Rockstar

Narrative and storytelling mastermind Dan Houser is no longer with Rockstar, and although you might know his name, most people don't realise the longterm ramifications of this.

Dan and Sam Houser literally founded Rockstar. Dan is reportedly the "left brain"; the creative, yarn-spinning type who leads various creative teams on tons of beloved franchises, and Sam is the "right"; the number-crunching business man who keeps everything in check.

Together, they oversaw what could be seen as the best hot streak in gaming history - the period between GTA 3, all the way up to GTA V, and everything that happened in between.

Dan Houser was lead writer on ALL your favourite Rockstar games. That's every last GTA including the monumental GTA 5, both Red Dead Redemptions, Bully and Max Payne 3. He's a hugely important force for creative good inside Rockstar, and his departure likely means the company will steer more into money-first decisions - the likes of which Take Two's Strauss Zelnick has been skirting around for years.

Dan's departure comes after other longtime figure Leslie Benzies left the company in 2014. Responsible for making GTA 3 and working alongside both Housers on all their biggest projects for that EXACT time period I mentioned, it's no exaggeration to say this trio disbanding is disastrous for the Rockstar you know and love.