Simply yesterday, Grand Theft Auto 6 developer Rockstar Video games knowledgeable its staff they’d be returning to the workplace full-time and scrapping distant work. These staff have responded to the mandate, and so they’re not completely happy. Some GTA 6 devs are even stating they worry a return to the “poisonous ‘crunch’ practices” for which Rockstar was identified throughout the growth of video games like Purple Lifeless Redemption 2 and GTA V.
GTA 6 devs accuse Rockstar of damaged guarantees
Rockstar has been making an attempt to encourage its staff to return to the workplace since final yr. When the developer tried to implement a transition to a three-day workplace week in 2023, Rockstar claimed “this isn’t our first step to five days every week. Nobody desires to return to the outdated method of working.” Now the GTA 6 devs are accusing Rockstar of breaking their guarantees following yesterday’s mandate that staff return to workplace full-time.
An nameless worker informed VGC that Rockstar is eradicating a distant working lifeline that allowed them to “steadiness care obligations, handle disabilities, and relocate as we’d like.” They continued:
Rockstar is snatching away that lifeline with out a second thought for the employees who’ll be impacted most. After so many damaged guarantees we now worry administration could even be paving the best way for a return to poisonous ‘crunch’ practices. Senior management have to rethink their reckless determination making and have interaction with their workers to seek out an association that works for everybody.
Rockstar had gained fairly a status for its “poisonous crunch practices” throughout earlier video games. Most of the accusations towards the corporate concerned 100-hour weeks, obligatory additional time, and worry techniques. As such, earlier stories had claimed GTA 6 can be delayed till 2025 to keep away from these crunch situations.
Nevertheless, obligatory additional time was a priority for an additional nameless worker who mentioned “simply considered one of my issues is being pressured to work late hours within the workplace to keep up contact with world groups when earlier than we might go browsing from house to attend late conferences.” The issues have meant that the IWGB Sport Employees Union has additionally issued an announcement condemning Rockstar’s actions:
The employees within the IWGB Sport Employees Union at Rockstar are pushing for transparency over pay and promotions, a wholesome and inclusive office tradition, and work life steadiness centred round what every employee wants. It’s unacceptable that Rockstar management have gone again on their phrase time and time once more and have ignored the employees’ requests for fundamental working situations.
Employees throughout the business are carried out with letting executives make reckless and dangerous selections and the Rockstar employees are exhibiting us the beginning of what’s to return in the event that they’re regularly ignored. There’s no higher time than now to hitch our union and push for this to be the wholesome and sustainable video games business we all know it may be.
IWGB Sport Employees Union chairman Austin Kelmore
Rockstar is but to remark.
