Rockstar Games has acquired Video Games Deluxe, a Sydney-based studio founded by L.A. Noire director Brendan McNamara in 2013. The studio will be rebranded as Rockstar Australia.
The acquisition was announced on March 1, and Rockstar head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe expressed excitement over the partnership. “After working together closely over many years, we are excited to have Video Games Deluxe join the team as Rockstar Australia,” she said.
Despite a tumultuous past between Team Bondi and Rockstar following an IGN report about poor working conditions at the Australian studio, Video Games Deluxe had previously collaborated with Rockstar on L.A. Noire re-releases and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition upgrades.
McNamara stated that he was “honored to work closely” with Rockstar and is thrilled to be part of the team. The new studio’s future projects are unclear, but it’s likely that they will contribute to the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year.
Source: https://www.polygon.com/news/533101/rockstar-games-acquisition-video-deluxe-australia-brendan-mcnamara-la-noire