Latest news with #DanHouser
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Record Growth Fuels Next Phase For Revolving Games - Games Publishing, IP Deals & Player Expansion
LOS ANGELES, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresh off record-breaking momentum across its game portfolio, Revolving Games is entering its next phase of growth driven by player adoption, product-first development, and a growing global community. The company, known for building games that blend deep gameplay with real player rewards, now boasts over 700,000 installs and 40,000 paying customers across its titles and is preparing to scale through new content, major game launches, and the foundation of a player-powered publishing ecosystem. Breakout Growth Across Live Games After four years of development and $25 million invested, Revolving Games' latest title, War of Nova, has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing strategy games in its category. The real-time 4X strategy MMORPG is: Tracking toward $30 million in annualized revenue Seeing 40% that revenue generated by players on App Store and Google Play Showing strong player retention and engagement with D1/D3/D7 retention rates of 45/38/26, respectively and 30 minute average session lengths Launching Season 2 with improved social features in August In parallel, HatchKings, Revolving Games' social slots game, set a new on-chain gaming revenue record by generating $1.4 million in just 10 days, outperforming previous benchmarks set by leading Web3 games. These numbers are more than just proof points. They signal what many have questioned - that Web3 games can, in fact, break into the mainstream. With nearly half of War of Nova's revenue coming from everyday mobile players, Revolving Games is closing the gap between traditional mobile gaming and next-generation, player-powered infrastructure. A Growing Player Community and Publisher Ecosystem With four launched games, a robust live service operation, and a loyal player base investing into its infrastructure, Revolving Games is laying the groundwork for a scalable, player-first publishing platform. The company's upcoming roadmap includes: The launch of Skyborne: Phoenix Flight, a casual invest-express RPG reminiscent of Animal Crossing, set to debut in Limited Access later this year Continued updates and seasonal content for War of Nova, HatchKings, and Hatchlings Onboarding IP Partners into the Publisher Ecosystem The rollout of the RCADE Network, a player-powered infrastructure layer designed to connect games, studios, and players through real rewards and shared growth "With the traction we're seeing across our live games and Skyborne: Phoenix Flight on deck, we believe Revolving Games is positioned to reach $60 million in ARR by the end of the year," added Ammar Zaeem, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Revolving Games. "It's a reflection of years of quiet work and our belief that building for real players — not hype — is what drives long-term growth." Building for the Long Term Backed by industry giants Pantera Capital, Animoca Brands, Polygon, and Rockstar Games' co-creator Dan Houser, Revolving Games has shown through its commercial success and rapid growth that it's leading the way for next-gen gaming. "Four years ago, we set out to build games that people actually want to play and it still remains the mission," said Saad Zaeem, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Revolving Games. "Seeing War of Nova and HatchKings take off proves that when you focus on gameplay and community first, everything else follows." Revolving Games has been recognized as #27 Forbes' Best Startup Employers and Newsweek's Greatest Startup Workplaces in 2025. The company continues to scale globally with studios in North America, Europe, and Asia. About Revolving Games Revolving Games is a global game developer and decentralized publisher creating scalable, player-owned gaming experiences through high-quality gameplay and connected infrastructure. With teams across North America, Europe, and Asia, the company has launched multiple titles spanning strategy, social simulation, and RPG genres. Backed by prominent investors including Pantera Capital, Animoca Brands, Polygon, Dapper Labs, Permanens Capital Partners, and others, Revolving Games is setting new standards for what's possible in Web3 gaming, and has been recognized by Forbes and Newsweek as one of America's Best Startup Employers ( and Greatest Startup Workplaces ( in 2025. Revolving Games is dedicated to building decentralized, long-lasting, and seriously fun games that rival the best of traditional AAA gaming. For more information, users can visit: Website: Twitter: Discord: Contact Revolving Gameshello@ Photo - - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Revolving Games Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Record Growth Fuels Next Phase For Revolving Games - Games Publishing, IP Deals & Player Expansion
Los Angeles, United States, July 7th, 2025, FinanceWire Fresh off record-breaking momentum across its game portfolio, Revolving Games is entering its next phase of growth driven by player adoption, product-first development, and a growing global community. The company, known for building games that blend deep gameplay with real player rewards, now boasts over 700,000 installs and 40,000 paying customers across its titles and is preparing to scale through new content, major game launches, and the foundation of a player-powered publishing ecosystem. Breakout Growth Across Live Games After four years of development and $25 million invested, Revolving Games' latest title, War of Nova, has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing strategy games in its category. The real-time 4X strategy MMORPG is: Tracking toward $30 million in annualized revenue Seeing 40% that revenue generated by players on App Store and Google Play Showing strong player retention and engagement with D1/D3/D7 retention rates of 45/38/26, respectively and 30 minute average session lengths Launching Season 2 with improved social features in August In parallel, HatchKings, Revolving Games' social slots game, set a new on-chain gaming revenue record by generating $1.4 million in just 10 days, outperforming previous benchmarks set by leading Web3 games. These numbers are more than just proof points. They signal what many have questioned - that Web3 games can, in fact, break into the mainstream. With nearly half of War of Nova's revenue coming from everyday mobile players, Revolving Games is closing the gap between traditional mobile gaming and next-generation, player-powered infrastructure. A Growing Player Community and Publisher Ecosystem With four launched games, a robust live service operation, and a loyal player base investing into its infrastructure, Revolving Games is laying the groundwork for a scalable, player-first publishing platform. The company's upcoming roadmap includes: The launch of Skyborne: Phoenix Flight, a casual invest-express RPG reminiscent of Animal Crossing, set to debut in Limited Access later this year Continued updates and seasonal content for War of Nova, HatchKings, and Hatchlings Onboarding IP Partners into the Publisher Ecosystem The rollout of the RCADE Network, a player-powered infrastructure layer designed to connect games, studios, and players through real rewards and shared growth 'With the traction we're seeing across our live games and Skyborne: Phoenix Flight on deck, we believe Revolving Games is positioned to reach $60 million in ARR by the end of the year,' added Ammar Zaeem, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Revolving Games. 'It's a reflection of years of quiet work and our belief that building for real players — not hype — is what drives long-term growth.' Building for the Long Term Backed by industry giants Pantera Capital, Animoca Brands, Polygon, and Rockstar Games' co-creator Dan Houser, Revolving Games has shown through its commercial success and rapid growth that it's leading the way for next-gen gaming. 'Four years ago, we set out to build games that people actually want to play and it still remains the mission,' said Saad Zaeem, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Revolving Games. 'Seeing War of Nova and HatchKings take off proves that when you focus on gameplay and community first, everything else follows.' Revolving Games has been recognized as #27 Forbes' Best Startup Employers and Newsweek's Greatest Startup Workplaces in 2025. The company continues to scale globally with studios in North America, Europe, and Asia. About Revolving Games Revolving Games is a global game developer and decentralized publisher creating scalable, player-owned gaming experiences through high-quality gameplay and connected infrastructure. With teams across North America, Europe, and Asia, the company has launched multiple titles spanning strategy, social simulation, and RPG genres. Backed by prominent investors including Pantera Capital, Animoca Brands, Polygon, Dapper Labs, Permanens Capital Partners, and others, Revolving Games is setting new standards for what's possible in Web3 gaming, and has been recognized by Forbes and Newsweek as one of America's Best Startup Employers ( and Greatest Startup Workplaces ( in 2025. Revolving Games is dedicated to building decentralized, long-lasting, and seriously fun games that rival the best of traditional AAA gaming. For more information, users can visit:
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why Rockstar may have scrapped GTA 6's original story concepts
Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser wrote multiple versions of Grand Theft Auto VI's story, but these original concepts were all cancelled, a report claims. These may be the potential reasons behind a shift in the game's narrative development. The majority of the Take-Two-owned studio's games have been written by a core group, often led by Dan Houser. However, Houser departed Rockstar in 2020, nearly a year after the release of Red Dead Redemption 2. Houser's departure has raised questions about who is currently responsible for writing GTA 6. While some key personnel left with him, Red Dead Redemption 2 writer Michael Unsworth remained at Rockstar until 2023. The extent of Houser's direct work on GTA 6 before he left remains unclear; however, he may have contributed to the early concepts of the upcoming game. Rockstar may have cancelled three different GTA 6 stories According to a report by Medium, multiple storylines for GTA 6 were allegedly developed and later scrapped over the years, with each version featuring different sets of protagonists. The report claims that Dan Houser, Rockstar's former creative lead, proposed three distinct narratives between 2014 and 2019. The first story, pitched in 2014, involved three protagonists — a corrupt cop, his troubled son, and a drug lord's ambitious right-hand man. This version was reportedly dropped by publisher Take-Two after two years for being 'too dark.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Start Here - 2025 Top Trend Local network access control Esseps Learn More Undo The second concept, from around 2016, focused on a Vice City policewoman who goes rogue to avenge her mother's death, paired with a reckless drug smuggler. This, too, was cancelled by 2018. The final story, reportedly written in 2019, revolved around a grieving female officer replaced by an ex-soldier, leading her into the criminal world. Houser is said to have taken a sabbatical in 2019 due to creative fatigue and eventually left Rockstar in 2020. However, the report's authenticity is unverified, and some fans are sceptical, citing Houser's heavy involvement in Red Dead Redemption 2's development during the same period. 7 Things You May Have Missed in the GTA 6 Second Trailer AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Inside the scrapped GTA 6 story featuring a corrupt cop and a cartel lieutenant
Source: Rockstar Games In a twist to the long history of GTA 6 development, several credible leaks have disclosed that Rockstar Games initially had in mind a much darker iteration of the game. In creative direction by Dan Houser, the abandoned 2016 narrative had a morally conflicted Vice City police officer, his troubled son, and a cartel lieutenant, each with personal motives and a common fall into crime. But this ambitious vision never materialized. A gripping crime story filled with corruption and creative disagreements behind the scenes Source: Rockstar Games The canceled plot was a significant departure from GTA's usual satirical bent. Centered around it was a moral Vice City police officer who becomes involved in organized crime to rescue his son from drug addiction. The son, a Cuban-American attempting to flee the world of drugs, provided an exposed, personal viewpoint. A third lead was the second-in-command of a Colombian narcotics lord, running Vice City-based narcotics trafficking while working on launching his own empire. The tale, informed by the characteristically storytelling-driven Houser, envisioned a slow-burning thriller predicated on moral decay, family obligation, and ethical ambiguity. It was said to be more realistic and more dramatic than any GTA game before it, being likened to crime sagas instead of open-world mayhem. Insider sources alleged the tone of the story was "too dark" for the direction of the franchise, which in turn saw it cancelled by Take-Two Interactive in late 2016. Why Rockstar dropped its darkest game so far Source: Rockstar Games It has been reported that the story had been in production for more than a year before it was canceled. The creative conflicts between Rockstar's writing staff and Take-Two's executive ranks are named as the primary cause. Another reason was a need to rebrand GTA 6 with a wider, perhaps lighter audience in mind, leading to a complete narrative overhaul. Following this cancellation, Rockstar pursued several new directions: one with a female police officer and a smuggler in 2018, and the other with an ex-military protagonist in 2019, both were ultimately abandoned. Dan Houser's 2020 exit from Rockstar is generally thought to be linked to these constant rejections. Now, GTA 6 has Jason and Lucia, a Bonnie-and-Clyde-like pair of criminals. Although intriguing, it's a definite divergence from the lost vision of the franchise, a rich, character-centric crime epic that could have been Rockstar's most audacious tale to date. The 2016 draft of GTA 6 is an interesting "what if" moment in gaming history. Though its storyline's dark elements may never find their way to players, it shows the creative bets Rockstar once weighed and the trade-offs behind each megahit game. Also Read: GTA 6 trailer 2 shows Lucia attacked mid-heist on a plane, fans spot betrayal plot
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
7 reasons why GTA 6 could be Rockstar's last GTA game
Screenshot via Rockstar Games The hype around GTA 6 is real. The second trailer dropped on May 6, 2025, just four days after Rockstar officially delayed the game to May 2026—and yet, the buzz hasn't slowed. But here's a harsh question nobody wants to ask out loud: What if GTA 6 is the last Grand Theft Auto game ever? Sounds wild, right? But hear us out. Here are 7 solid reasons why GTA 6 might be Rockstar's final GTA chapter. 1. It's Already Taking Over a Decade to Build GTA 5 launched in 2013. GTA 6 is arriving in 2026. That's a 13-year gap. Game development cycles are getting longer, more complex, and exhausting. If one GTA takes an entire generation to create, the next might not be possible in the same way. Rockstar may not want to commit to another marathon like this again. GTA 6 Will Be The FINAL Grand Theft Auto Game... 2. The Cost of Making It Is Astronomical Rumors suggest GTA 6 has cost Rockstar over $2 billion to develop and market, making it the most expensive video game ever made. Even for a company as big as Rockstar, investing that kind of money again might not make sense. The studio could pivot to safer, faster projects instead of gambling everything on one mega-title. 3. Live Service Could Replace New Titles GTA Online changed Rockstar's business forever. With GTA 6, the online component is expected to evolve into a live service model with constant updates, expansions, and in-game economies. This model eliminates the need for a sequel. Why make GTA 7 when you can just keep expanding GTA 6 forever? 4. Top Developers Have Already Left Many of Rockstar's OG legends lik Dan Houser, the creative force behind the series, have left the company. While the new team is talented, the departure of key visionaries could make the idea of a future GTA feel less certain, or creatively risky. 5. The Scope Can't Get Bigger GTA 6 features multiple cities, real-time events, weather systems, evolving NPCs, and two protagonists with branching storylines. Where do you go after that? Making something bigger or better than this might just not be practical. GTA 6 could be Rockstar's magnum opus: the point after which they say, 'We've done it all.' 6. AI and Player-Generated Worlds Could Take Over The future of open-world games might lie in AI-generated content and community-driven mods. Rockstar might shift focus toward enabling user-created stories and experiences within GTA 6's sandbox instead of developing entirely new games from scratch. Can Red Dead Redemption 3 Even Happen? 7. Rockstar Might Explore New Universes Let's be honest. Rockstar has done GTA. It has Red Dead, Bully, Max Payne, all ripe for expansion. With the tech they've built for GTA 6, they might now want to experiment with new genres, timelines, and stories rather than staying tied to the GTA brand forever. We're not saying GTA 6 will be the last. But if it is, it's shaping up to be one hell of a farewell. Whether this is the beginning of the end or a launchpad for a new era, one thing's clear: GTA 6 isn't just a game. It's a monument.
