Rockstar Says GTA 6 Development Has Less Crunch Than RDR2

Rockstar Games has made significant changes to its working conditions during the development of Grand Theft Auto VI, aiming to avoid the excessive overtime that affected employees working on Red Dead Redemption 2.

According to a new Bloomberg investigation by Jason Schreier, Rockstar executives committed to improving development practices following criticism of the company's working culture in 2018.

During Red Dead Redemption 2's production, some employees reported working approximately 60 hours per week, including evenings and weekends.

Rockstar's head of publishing, Jennifer Kolbe, said the company introduced more realistic production schedules, expanded its workforce, and improved compensation for overtime. Employees can receive additional pay or paid time off for extra hours worked.

Although Kolbe acknowledged that conditions are not perfect, she indicated that GTA 6's development has been handled differently from previous projects.

However, Rockstar's workplace policies remain controversial. In April 2024, the company required employees to return to its offices five days per week, citing productivity and security concerns following major GTA 6 leaks.

The studio also faces an ongoing employment dispute involving 34 workers dismissed in 2025. The affected employees and their union allege that the dismissals were connected to union-organizing activities.

Rockstar disputes those allegations, maintaining that the employees were dismissed for sharing confidential company information through a Discord server that included people outside the company.

The dispute is being examined by an employment tribunal in Glasgow, with the outcome still unresolved.

Rockstar's efforts to reduce excessive overtime represent a significant change in its development approach, although questions surrounding remote work and employee relations remain.