Rockstar North Insiders: Crunch Baked Into GTA 6 Contracts

Three current Rockstar North employees have told Rock Paper Shotgun that overtime is the default in their contracts, forcing developers to actively opt out of crunch rather than volunteer for it. The claims, made by UK-based staff working on GTA 6, paint a picture of a studio where long hours are not an exception but a contractual baseline.

The report also alleges a widening gender pay gap at the Edinburgh studio and describes a bonus structure that discourages pushback. According to the insiders, bonuses are tied to project milestones in a way that makes workers more compliant, effectively weaponizing compensation to keep the team on an accelerated timeline.

The accusations land as Rockstar gears up for the November 19, 2026 launch of GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. With the release date locked in, the pressure to deliver a polished open-world on time is immense. Rockstar has not publicly responded to the allegations, and the studio has previously faced scrutiny over crunch culture, notably during the final stretch of Red Dead Redemption 2.

For buyers counting down to the biggest game of the year, the report raises questions about the human cost behind the blockbuster. Rockstar has claimed in recent years that it overhauled its workplace practices to reduce overtime, but these insider accounts suggest that, at least in the UK, crunch may still be structurally embedded.

As GTA 6 pre-orders opened on June 25, the labor practices at the studio will likely draw renewed attention. Whether these accounts reflect widespread conditions or isolated grievances remains unclear, but they add a layer of scrutiny to a launch that is already under a global microscope.