Fresh reports surrounding GTA 6 development are raising concerns about working conditions at Rockstar Games, with some employees alleging extended hours and unpaid overtime as the studio pushes toward its November 19, 2026, release date.
The claims, which surfaced through online employee reviews on Glassdoor, as reported by gaming publication Level 80, suggest that certain teams may be facing intense production demands in the final stretch.
One review attributed to a worker in Bangalore, India, described a “hectic” schedule, claiming that employees worked from morning until as late as 3 a.m. to meet accelerated deadlines.
According to the post, tasks expected to take several months were being condensed into significantly shorter timelines. “The schedule has been hectic since last month,” the reviewer wrote, adding that raising concerns internally was “useless.”
The claims gained traction after industry commentator Reece Reilly, also known as Kiwi Talkz, weighed in, saying, “What you call crunch is just normal day-to-day work in India, so 100% yes.”
He added that while some reviews have praised work-life balance, standards may differ by region, noting that conditions considered typical locally might still be demanding by Western benchmarks.
Additional feedback from a U.S.-based review cited a “crunch micromanaging culture,” though those accounts referenced longer standard workdays rather than overnight shifts.
It remains unclear whether all reported experiences are directly tied to GTA 6 development or reflect broader company practices across teams.
The allegations arrive as GTA 6 remains one of the most closely watched releases in entertainment. Parent company Take-Two Interactive has maintained that the game is on track for its November launch, reinforcing confidence in recent investor communications.
Previous reporting has suggested that Rockstar has made efforts to improve working conditions compared to earlier projects.
In 2023, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier noted that overtime still existed but described the environment as “night and day” compared to the crunch associated with Red Dead Redemption 2. He added that if conditions worsened, it would warrant further scrutiny.
