Rockstar Games sets up shop in Los Angeles with new studio

Since then, the internet has been rife with speculation on what the new studio might be working on. Given the strong likelihood of this studio being a rebranding of Standard Deviation and its emphasized description as a "unique development studio," it's highly plausible that Rockstar Games is establishing a presence in Los Angeles as a strategic move to streamline the process of engaging actors, a significant portion of whom are centered in the entertainment hub of Hollywood.

Though it's unlikely that Rockstar already has a project in the works for the new studio, the timing of this move couldn't be more opportune. The ongoing actors strike and the stipulations outlined by SAG-AFTRA specify that the strike does not cover commercial or video game work, a fact that plays to the advantage of game developers.

GTA fans are well aware that the Los Santos city featured in GTA V is inspired by the city of Los Angeles, and Del Perro is derived from Santa Monica. However, recent GTA 6 leaks reveal that the upcoming game will take players back to Vice City, which is based off Miami, Florida. With this in mind, most fans speculate that the Santa Monica studio could potentially become the new home of the rumored Bully 2 or the sequel to the 2011 detective-adventure game, L.A. Noire.

The latter appears to be the front-runner, considering the original game was based in Los Angeles and employed motion capture advancements for the interrogation gameplay, as players were required to gauge whether interviewees were lying through their reactions.

Given that the production of L.A. Noire incurred a substantial expense exceeding $50 million for Rockstar Games (making it one of the most expensive games ever made), investing in a motion capture company and hiring engineers to design and build motion capture equipment for future projects is simply good business.

Rockstar Games currently owns a global network of 11 subsidiary studios, including Rockstar San Diego, the California studio that birthed the arcade-style racing gaming Midnight Club and the Red Dead franchise.