Developers at GTA 6 studio Rockstar Games have criticized the company for telling its employees they must return to the office full-time next month, calling the leadership's decision “reckless.”
As reported yesterday, Rockstar employees have been told to return to the office five days a week as GTA 6 enters the final stretch of development. Studio management cited safety and productivity reasons for this upcoming change, which will take effect in April.
Since this announcement, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has criticized Rockstar for its plans to drop remote work provisions for the “majority” of its staff, noting that the studio said any exceptions to the new rules will be “rare.”
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Make reference to a petition signed by 170 Rockstar Games workers last year opposing mandatory three-day office work, the union said the studio's latest decision “marks a U-turn from previous statements in which the company insisted that options flexible working arrangements would still be available.
Additionally, several members of the development team have spoken to the IWGB and expressed concerns about returning to full-time office work. An anonymous Rockstar employee told the union that working from home had been “a lifesaver” for many staff. “Now, Rockstar is snatching that lifeline without a second thought from the workers who will be most affected,” they said.
“After so many broken promises, we now fear that management may even be paving the way for a return to toxic 'crisis' practices. Senior managers must rethink their reckless decision-making and engage with their staff to find a deal that works.” for all”.
Another employee said there had been no consultation with management before the change. Once again, they cited concerns that staff will soon be expected to “work late in the office to maintain contact with global teams.” Previously, staff could log in remotely to meetings held outside normal working hours if necessary.
“This will mean losing time with our families,” they said, adding concern for “colleagues who have health issues that prevent them from working full-time in the office and who are now in limbo.”
All of Rockstar's developers “care deeply” about the games they create, one worker said, adding that “studio management should never take the team's passion, skill and talent for granted.”
“It is together, through collaboration and a healthy work-life balance and workplace culture that we continue to create some of the most beloved and spectacular games in our industry,” they said.
The union itself also issued a statement saying that it was “unacceptable” that the leaders had decided to “break their word again and again.”
“IWGB Game Workers Union workers at Rockstar are pushing for transparency in pay and promotions, a healthy and inclusive work culture, and a work-life balance focused on what each worker needs,” wrote the president of IWGB Game Workers, Austin Kelmore.
“Workers across the industry are tired of allowing executives to make reckless and harmful decisions, and Rockstar workers are showing us the beginning of what's to come if they're continually ignored. There's no better time than now to join our union and push for this to be resolved. “It will be the healthy and sustainable games industry that we know it can be.”
Eurogamer has asked Rockstar for further comment.
GTA 6 is scheduled for release in 2025 on both Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. Rockstar has not yet given a timeline for a PC release. For more information on the game, here's everything we know about GTA 6 so far.
