Rockstar Lead Says They're Never Going on Crunch Again
Following the reported problems in Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar claims to have changed its work practices during the development of GTA 6; understand why.
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The development of Red Dead Redemption 2, released in October 2018, marked a moment of reflection for Rockstar Games regarding the working conditions of its employees. At the time, reports indicated that developers faced long hours, including nights and weekends, for months. This practice is known as crunch in the video game industry, which involves intense periods of work and overtime to meet production deadlines.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar's head of publishing, stated that the experience led the company to rethink its practices. "We all looked at each other and said, 'We're never going to do that again,'" she declared. According to her, leadership also committed to avoiding situations where the development of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI required employees to work non-stop to complete the project.
Among the changes adopted by the company are the hiring of more professionals, the adjustment of expectations regarding the pace of tasks, more rigorous planning, and constant monitoring of progress. Rockstar has also implemented policies of paid time off in compensation for overtime and, in some cases, additional payments.
Kolbe acknowledged that the measures did not eliminate all problems, but assessed that there had been progress compared to the development of Red Dead Redemption 2. "It wasn't perfect, but it's certainly better than Red Dead II," she stated. She also recognized that experiences vary between teams: "Whenever I say we didn't work non-stop, someone replies, 'I did.' " Despite this, the executive said she was proud of the changes implemented by the company.
Everything you need to know about GTA VI
Once again developed by Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto VI is the first GTA in thirteen years, following the astronomical success of GTA V, released in 2013. The franchise is one of the most successful in video game history.
The story of GTA VI takes place in an open world based on Florida, in the United States. Its setting is Vice City, a fictional version of Miami that debuted in the first GTA and later got its own game with 2002’s GTA Vice City.
GTA VI arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19, 2026. A PC version has not yet been announced.
