Rockstar Nearly Doubles Its Workforce During GTA 6 Development

Rockstar Games has nearly doubled its workforce since the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, highlighting the significant expansion of the company during the development of Grand Theft Auto VI.

According to a new Bloomberg investigation by Jason Schreier, Rockstar employed 2,441 people when Red Dead Redemption 2 launched in 2018. By August 2026, that number had increased to 4,711 employees across 12 offices worldwide.

The expansion reflects the growing demands of GTA 6, which has been in development for more than eight years and experienced two release delays.

Of Rockstar's current workforce, approximately 4,020 employees work in development and quality assurance, while the remaining staff handle publishing and other responsibilities.

However, the figures represent Rockstar's overall workforce rather than an officially confirmed number of developers assigned exclusively to GTA 6.

The company's expansion has also accompanied significant organizational changes. Following the departure of several experienced employees, including co-founder Dan Houser, development leadership has been shared among Rob Nelson, Aaron Garbut, and Phil Hooker.

Rockstar has also faced challenges involving workplace conditions, development schedules, and security concerns following major leaks of GTA 6 materials.

Despite these difficulties, the company has continued expanding its technology and development infrastructure to support its increasingly complex games.

The larger workforce and tools created for GTA 6 could also benefit future Rockstar projects, although the company has not announced its next major title.

Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.