Smilegate Invests in Rockstar Co-Founder Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures

The partnership aims to leverage expertise across Western and Asian markets to create new AAA games and IPs.

South Korea's Smilegate has made a strategic investment in Absurd Ventures, the studio founded by Rockstar Games co-creator Dan Houser.
The collaboration seeks to combine Smilegate's success in the Asian market with Houser's expertise in Western AAA game development and storytelling.
Absurd Ventures is currently developing a new AAA third-person open-world game and exploring diverse IPs across video games, live-action, animation, and other mediums.
Smilegate is known for its global hits like Lost Ark and Crossfire, with the latter boasting a billion registered players worldwide.
Both companies emphasize their shared vision of creating expansive worlds and innovative player experiences as part of this partnership.