Dan Houser, former Rockstar lead who worked on the Grand Theft Auto series, stated that he currently has no plans to play Grand Theft Auto VI. He is interested in the game but worries that exposure to others' designs might inadvertently influence his own projects.
Houser said he rarely plays contemporary open-world games. When he does, he habitually deconstructs their structures, observing the strengths and weaknesses of how other teams handle problems, and constantly compares them with his own work. This distracts him, so he prefers to seek inspiration from other art forms or explore ideas that haven't been used yet.
This decision isn't specifically targeted at Grand Theft Auto VI. While working on Red Dead Redemption, Houser consciously avoided consuming similar Western-themed works. He also mentioned that he didn't watch the entire TV series The Sopranos until after he left Rockstar.
Currently, Houser is involved in the development of two games at his new company, Absurd Ventures.