GTA 6: Rockstar Employee Discontent Risks Continuing Development?

This week, Rockstar released the good news by officially announcing through its vice-president Jennifer Kolbe that the final phase of GTA 6 development is set to begin in April. Good news for fans, but bad for employees at the star-studded firm who learned about the end of teleworking at Rockstar at the same time.

Two days ago, Rockstar Games confirmed the development of Grand Theft Auto VI was progressing well and teams were preparing to enter The final stage of development From April 2024. Jennifer KolbeA New York studio vice president confirmed at the same time A famous singer was going to end teleworking in his studio. This new way of working was put in place in March 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic. Four years later, for productivity and safety reasons in order to complete the development of GTA 6, Rockstar would stop this practice, asking all its employees to return to the office five days a week.

Of course, this decision was not liked by many employees. And as the hours pass, more and more of them express their displeasure, but also reach out to various workers’ unions to testify about their concerns. What is it really? Could the development of GTA 6 be affected and even threatened?

Rockstar Games: The End of Teleworking

Why End Teleworking? Rockstar Games, by Jennifer Kolbe, justifies this decision for productivity and security reasons.

Since then many internet users started talking about Crunch. If for the moment, there is no question of this practice, which, as we remember, is a period of high activity with many overtime hours, we can easily think that Rockstar just wants to return to a normal working environment. Although numerous studies have shown the benefits of teleworking and improved productivity, some employees may be more easily distracted. And so, break even further with exchanges via mediated messaging which can be difficult to manage in a domestic level of development as important as GTA 6.

Another issue highlighted by Rockstar is security. Between the September 2022 leaks, then the leaks on the first trailer for GTA 6, it’s a safe bet that Rockstar wants to prevent the slightest leak as the game’s release approaches. Knowing that in the home stretch, there should be numerous debug tests. Sessions, letting employees play a near-final version of the title at home would be too risky.

Rockstar Games: Worried and unhappy employees

Since this announcement, many members of the star generation have been worried on one hand. Some confirm that the working environment was not good before Covid. Although there were major improvements, there remained some concerns that no longer existed in teleworking with the reduction in pressure. Many fear returning to this extreme environment when returning to work.

Others are unhappy because it will literally change their lifestyle. With the introduction of teleworking, some have been able to change their lives and move away from the city. With this obligation to return to the office five times a week, this will require many families to move again and disrupt their lifestyles and their daily lives.

Workers union ready to work

Faced with this sudden decision, some members of the star-studded generation did not hesitate to contact the workers’ union in the United Kingdom, the IWGB, to testify anonymously.

The IWGB, founded in 2012, is a union that organizes for better working conditions. LThose IWGB members are key workers in the fight against poverty wages and precarious work. The union is constantly looking for new members and wants to recruit many employees from Rockstar.

Unions act through various means such as strikes, legal action, and public pressure to fight for workers’ rights and fair wages and working conditions.

So it was through this union that the members of Rockstar were able to express themselves and witness. We understand that the employees have been notified to return to the office from April 15, 2024. The directive comes a year after a petition by 170 employees of the company protesting the mandatory three-day office work, as part of one of the biggest ever industrial actions. UK video games industry.

Rockstar employees who belong to the IWGB union accuse the Star firm of broken promises and worry about health, family responsibilities, living conditions and the increased risk of overwork. Rockstar’s official communication seemed to be delayed as rumors started circulating in early February before becoming official at the end of the month.

For the union, the decision will disrupt the lives of many employees, most of whom are opposed to returning to the office. This can create serious problems for employees with disabilities, employees with family responsibilities or health problems. Despite this, Rockstar has denied any communication with its employees, warning that the company will end its remote access technology to end any possibility of continuing to work from home.

Here are the testimonies of several members of the star generation.

“Working from home at Rockstar is a lifeline for many of us, allowing us to balance caregiving responsibilities, manage disability and relocate as needed. Now, Rockstar is holding on to this lifeline without thinking about the workers most affected. After many broken promises, we now fear that management is paving the way for a return to toxic “crisis” practices. Senior leaders need to rethink their impulsive decision-making and work with their staff to find a system that works for everyone.

“As usual, we have not been consulted: these policy changes affect the people most affected. One of my concerns is being forced to work late in the office to keep in touch with global teams before we can log in from home to attend late meetings. This would mean losing time with our families. I also know co-workers who have health issues that prevent them from working full-time in the office and are now in limbo.”

• Ano’s testimony from a representative of numerous employees:

“We, the staff, care deeply about the games we make and our passion, skills and talents should never be taken for granted by studio management. “It is together, through collaboration, a healthy work-life balance and company culture, that we continue to create some of the most beloved and spectacular games in our industry.”

The president of the IWGB, Austin Kelmore, declared that Rockstar’s decisions were unacceptable and that it was imperative for the employees of the star-studded firm not to allow this to happen. The union president calls on all employees to join the IWGB in taking collective action to make their rights heard.

The affair is still far from over and the next few days look tense at the star-studded firm. Of course, we will keep you informed of any developments.

(source)

Have a great day and a great weekend everyone at Rockstar Mag 😉