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Former 'Grand Theft Auto' lead starts his own VR studio

Rockstar North lead Leslie Benzies, a key figure in 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Red Dead Redemption,' will develop VR equipment and games.

Until 2014, Leslie Benzies was head of Rockstar North, responsible for hits like the Grand Theft Auto series and Red Dead Redemption. After an acrimonious split with his former employer and some time away, Benzies looks to be coming back to the game world. An investigation by The Scotsman reveals that the executive has registered a company -- VR-Chitect Limited -- with the aim of building VR headsets and equipment.

The paper also found a series of other companies that Benzies has put his name to, including Starship Group and Everywhere Game Limited. Another, Royal Circus Games, has also trademarked the phrase Time for a New World, although that could just be a company slogan rather than anything more substantial. The fact that such an influential -- and successful -- figure in the games industry is striking out on his own is interesting. We'll wait and see what he's able to develop in the following months and years.