It seems to be like Michael Unsworth, Rockstar’s vice chairman of writing, could have quietly left the corporate after a prolonged profession that started in 2007. Unsworth’s obvious departure got here to gentle by means of his LinkedIn web page, which signifies that he left Rockstar someday earlier this 12 months.
“Mike is an achieved author who spent over 16 years working for Rockstar Video games as a artistic lead on among the most critically acclaimed and commercially profitable online game franchises of all time, most notably Grand Theft Auto and Crimson Useless Redemption,” the web page states. “He has a deep understanding of interactive storytelling, character improvement and open world sport design and in depth expertise constructing and managing artistic groups.”
Extra tellingly, it says he was vice chairman of writing from 2021 to 2023, relatively than 2021 to current because it usually does for people who find themselves actively employed, indicating that his time in that function has come to an finish.
Unsworth joined Rockstar in 2007 as senior artistic author, a place he held till 2019. He started by writing dialog for Midnight Membership: Los Angeles after which “pedestrian dialog“—certainly a reference to the NPCs, and never the standard—for Grand Theft Auto 4. He then co-wrote Crimson Useless Redemption with Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser and Christian Cantamessa, wrote extra dialog for LA Noire, Max Payne 3, and GTA 5, after which co-wrote Crimson Useless Redemption 2 with Houser and Rupert Humphries. He grew to become writing director that 12 months, after which moved as much as the vice chairman of writing place in 2021.
Unsworth’s seeming departure from Rockstar has precipitated just a little little bit of consternation amongst some Rockstar followers, who fear that the lack of one of many studio’s prime writers bodes sick for Grand Theft Auto 6—particularly when it is compounded by the absence of different top-tier Rockstar veterans together with Leslie Benzies, who left in 2016, and Dan Houser, who adopted in 2020.
Others are guessing his absence will doubtless have little influence on the event of the sport, since a lot of the dialog is presumably already full, and some go as far as to say that change is inevitable and after 5 GTAs within the bag, some recent blood on the prime is perhaps a very good factor.
Unsworth accepted the Finest Narrative award on behalf of Rockstar Video games for Crimson Useless Redemption 2 at The Recreation Awards 2018.
Unsworth’s departure from Rockstar isn’t truly confirmed, and except for his LinkedIn bio, there isn’t any indication that something has modified. It is attainable that he is merely transferring to a brand new function at Rockstar; it is attainable that one thing’s simply gone just a little wonky along with his LinkedIn web page, and nothing has truly modified in any respect.
Oddly, Rockstar declined to touch upon Unsworth’s standing a technique or one other. I’ve reached out to Unsworth himself for extra data, and can replace if I obtain a reply.