GTA 6 delay: Former Rockstar writer Lazlow has say on new release date

Referring to the GTA 6 delay, when indy100 asked Lazlow from his experience at Rockstar Games how far out he knew games such as GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 would not hit their initial release date target, he said "we've always been about 'don't release something until it's right'".

Lazlow was a writer, director, producer, radio show host and more at Rockstar for around 20 years, working on GTA 3 which released in 2001 right through to the studio's last full release in Red Dead Redemption 2. He left the studio in 2020 to focus on his family before teaming up with Dan Houser again, co-founding Absurd Ventures.

Speaking to indy100 ahead of the release of Absurd Venture's first issue of American Caper, we asked him from his time at Rockstar when he knew games wouldn't hit their intended release target.

Lazlow worked at Rockstar Games for around 20 years / Supplied

"You work so hard and are so immersed in it, it takes you years to get to 95 per cent," he said.

"We've always been about 'don't release something until it's right'. You see so many projects out there that come out too early and I can't speak about Rockstar now, I haven't been there since 2020, but making open world games is hard.

"We're seeing it in the early days on the development of A Better Paradise, it's making those huge, vast maps with sentient characters walking around, interacting and making a world that feels lived in which is hard. It's a craft that Dan [Houser] honed over 25 years.

"I know firsthand that creative projects are never finished. I still want to keep messing around with issue two of American Caper but it's going to print."

Lazlow spoke with indy100 ahead of the latest release from Absurd Ventures, which is comic American Caper, with issue one out now.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• GTA 6: Fans believe this is the reason Rockstar delayed the game again
• GTA 6 release date delay 'very disappointing' but 'few surprised' says gaming expert

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.