History of Rockstar Games:
Before Rockstar Games became synonymous with open-world crime epics, it started as a small Scottish studio working on entirely different kinds of games. With GTA 6 about to become the company’s biggest release ever, it’s worth looking back at how Rockstar got here.
The DMA Design Origins
Rockstar’s roots trace back to DMA Design, a Scottish studio founded in Dundee in 1987, best known in its early years for the puzzle-platformer Lemmings. In 1997, DMA Design released the original top-down Grand Theft Auto, a comparatively crude but surprisingly ambitious crime game that let players roam a city causing chaos — a concept that would eventually define an entire genre.
The Birth of Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games was officially founded in 1998 as a publishing label under Take-Two Interactive, established in part by brothers Sam and Dan Houser alongside several other key figures. DMA Design’s Grand Theft Auto series became the new label’s flagship franchise, and the studio behind it was eventually rebranded as Rockstar North, based in Edinburgh, Scotland — the same city where DMA Design had originally been based.
The Leap Into 3D: GTA III
If one release defined Rockstar’s rise to mainstream prominence, it was Grand Theft Auto III in 2001. Moving the series into a fully 3D open world for the first time, GTA III became a cultural phenomenon and a genuine genre-definer, inspiring countless imitators and establishing the open-world crime formula that’s remained Rockstar’s core identity ever since.
Expanding the Universe: Vice City and San Andreas
Rockstar followed GTA III with Vice City in 2002, introducing the 1980s Miami-inspired setting that GTA 6 now revives in modern form, and San Andreas in 2004, which expanded the open world to an unprecedented scale for its era. Both games cemented Rockstar’s reputation for ambitious, culturally referential world-building layered with sharp satire.
A Growing Global Studio Network
As Rockstar’s ambitions grew, so did its structure. The company expanded into a network of studios across multiple countries, including locations in the United States, Canada, the UK, and India, collaborating on increasingly massive projects. This distributed structure has remained central to how Rockstar develops its biggest titles, including GTA 6.
Beyond GTA: Red Dead and Beyond
While Grand Theft Auto remains Rockstar’s most recognizable franchise, the studio also built out other major properties, most notably the Red Dead series. Red Dead Redemption 2, released in 2018, became one of the most critically acclaimed open-world games ever made, and several key staff who worked on it transitioned directly into GTA 6’s development shortly after its release.
GTA V’s Unprecedented Longevity
Released in 2013, GTA V became one of the best-selling entertainment products in history, with Take-Two reporting around 220 million units sold as of 2025. Its online component, GTA Online, has remained a major revenue source for over a decade, fundamentally reshaping how Rockstar — and the wider games industry — thinks about post-launch content and long-term player engagement.
Arriving at GTA 6
GTA 6 represents the culmination of nearly three decades of evolution for Rockstar — from a scrappy Scottish studio making top-down crime games to a global development powerhouse behind what’s reportedly the most expensive video game ever made. Its November 19, 2026 launch carries the weight of that entire history, with expectations shaped by everything the studio has built since 1997.
Final Thoughts
Rockstar’s journey from DMA Design’s Lemmings to GTA 6’s billion-dollar production reflects one of the most remarkable growth stories in gaming history. Understanding that history adds real context to just how much is riding on GTA 6’s eventual reception.
This article will be updated with additional historical context as relevant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Rockstar Games originally called?
Rockstar’s roots trace back to DMA Design, a Scottish studio founded in 1987, which created the original Grand Theft Auto in 1997 before the Rockstar Games label was established in 1998.
Who founded Rockstar Games?
Rockstar Games was founded in 1998 under Take-Two Interactive, with brothers Sam and Dan Houser among its key founding figures.
What was Rockstar’s first major 3D Grand Theft Auto game?
Grand Theft Auto III, released in 2001, was the franchise’s first fully 3D open-world entry and a major turning point for the studio’s success.
Does Rockstar make games other than Grand Theft Auto?
Yes, most notably the Red Dead series, including the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2, released in 2018.
How does GTA V‘s success compare to other Rockstar games?
GTA V is one of the best-selling entertainment products in history, with around 220 million units sold as of 2025, the highest of any Rockstar release.