Rockstar Games announced on March 1 its acquisition of the Sydney-based Video Games Deluxe. The studio will henceforth be known as Rockstar Australia.
“After working together closely over many years, we are excited to have Video Games Deluxe join the team as Rockstar Australia,” Rockstar head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe said.
Video Games Deluxe was founded in 2013 by Brendan McNamara, who wrote and directed L.A. Noire at his previous studio, Team Bondi. L.A. Noire was published by Rockstar in 2011, but the relationship between it and Team Bondi deteriorated following an IGN report alleging poor working conditions at the Australian studio. Despite this past unpleasantness, however, Video Games Deluxe has since worked with Rockstar over the last several years on various L.A. Noire re-releases as well as upgrades to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.
“It’s been an honor to work closely with Rockstar Games this past decade,” McNamara said. “We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible.”
Although no information was provided as to what Rockstar’s new studio Down Under will be working on, it’s safe to assume all hands are on deck for the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year. Polygon reached out to Rockstar about its past with McNamara and Rockstar Australia’s role moving forward, but did not hear back before publication.
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