A new report has revealed several GTA 6 developers are accusing Rockstar Games of multiple things. These include pushing for crunch despite how poorly that went in previous titles such as GTA V and Red dead Redemption 2. The situation has created a cloud of negative feelings among the studio just months before the new game is due to arrive.
The report comes just one day after the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU) formerly submitted a filing to be recognized by Rockstar Games. Last night, it was revealed Rockstar would would be engaging in conversations with the union regarding official recognition at the studio.
Now that talks are being planned, staff impact by Rockstar management’s decisions are speaking out about the treatment they’re facing in the last few months before Grand Theft Auto 6 comes out.
Crunch Returns For Grand Theft Auto VI
Game Developer report multiple current staff members at Rockstar Games in the UK have accused the company of failing their employees. This is due to a number of reasons which we’ll be taking a look at.
According to the report, Rockstar have been attempting to “normalise” crunch. Rockstar were exposed to have extreme and unhealthy crunch conditions during the development of GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. This led to significant change at the company. Staff working there on GTA 6 reportedly praised how much better the place was to work. That has since changed now the game has entered its final stage of development.
It is said that some teams are seemingly always in crunch mode. It does vary from team to team as others have not experienced crunch at the studio. Due to how compartmentalised Rockstar is, some staff don’t know their colleagues are experiencing such difficult conditions.
Change has actually been acted upon thanks to the work of those in the union. They were able to tell Rockstar staff that they could opt into a UK employment regulation that prohibits employers from asking you to do more than extra 10 hours each week. This is something Rockstar made employees opt out of in their contract. Rockstar management then had to simplify the process and that included removing the necessity of meeting with HR.
GTA Makes Billions For Shareholders And Management, Not The Talent
Let’s talk about payment now. This game is going to be extremely successful and make Take-Two along with Rockstar several billions. The people that are actually crafting the game though feel like they won’t be receiving acceptable compensation for their artistry.
The reason behind this is that the employee bonus scheme reportedly fluctuates excessively and frequently without an explanation. It is said that the bonus has Rockstar staff receive is actually below to going rate in the industry. Furthermore, the gender pay gap has allegedly widened since Rockstar canned their initiatives that was resolving imbalance in this area. Sources also claim nightshift staff have lost their benefits.
According to sources, there has been actual improvement as recent as October in terms of wage increases. They are putting this down to the pressure kicked up by the union. It is said that there is actual financial incentives to crunch if you wish to do so and changes to various policies after years of complaints. It’s good to hear that there is actually some progress being made. Hopefully this long continues.
Rules For Thee But Not For Me
Previously, we have reported on how Rockstar took away remote working citing security reasons and progress slowing. This came after the company told employees that they would not be having to go back to the office. Now current developers are claiming leaders at the company can enjoy flexible work options but not those on the ground floor. Quite unfair.
Take-Two issued a statement to Game Developer saying that “we support and reward the team across all levels of the business through competitive compensation and benefits policies” and “have fostered a culture which is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness”.
It will be interesting to see how Rockstar and Take-Two handle meeting with the Union representatives.
Be sure to stay tuned to RockstarINTEL for all the latest news on Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto VI.
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