Video Games Deluxe is now a part of Rockstar Games. The studio, based in Sydney, Australia, will be renamed Rockstar Australia.
Video Games Deluxe worked with Rockstar Games in the past. The studio worked on re-releases of L.A. Noire, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. Before you get your undies in a twist, Video Games Deluxe handled the mobile port of the GTA Trilogy. They also worked on the post-release updates and fixes for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition to fix the release initially put out by Grove Street Games.
Video Games Deluxe employees some former Team Bondi members, including studio founder Brendan McNamara. Team Bondi, if you recall, is the studio that developed 2011's L.A. Noire. L.A. Noire was the only game developed by Team Bondi due to controversies involving the omission of staff from the credits of L.A. Noire and a managerial style that led to high turnover rates and excessive crunch. The relationship between Team Bondi and Rockstar Games became so damaged that Rockstar refused to publish any future titles from the studio.
Obviously, Rockstar Games has had a change of heart in the past decade and a half.
Team Bondi was dissolved in 2011 and sold the rights to their in-development game, Whore of the Orient, to Kennedy Miller Mitchell (KMM). KMM absorbed some of those former Team Bondi members and development continued on Whore of the Orient. This game was officially said to be cancelled as of June 2016.
There is no word yet on just what role this new Rockstar Australia will play. It's very possible that, at least for now, they will support the other Rockstar studios on working on Grand Theft Auto 6.
