Rockstar has banned teleworking to protect GTA 6

In development for many years, GTA 6 It is experiencing its final months of production – if indeed it is scheduled to launch in 2025. And it shouldn’t be easy for Rockstar Games employees. In an article published on February 28, 2024, Bloomberg reports that studios will no longer authorize teleworking, a practice that has become widely popular, certainly out of obligation, during the coronavirus pandemic.

So the people concerned will be forced to go to the office five days a week, as was undoubtedly the case earlier in the world. The media was able to get their hands on an email sent by Jane Kolbe, who was in charge of publishing at Rockstar Games. Two reasons have been cited to support this decision: one is linked to the quality of the product, the other to its safety GTA 6

In the face of leaks and hacking.

More teleworking = less risk of leaks for GTA 6?

The choice of Rockstar Games seems questionable, if we put ourselves on the side of its employees. But, it is inspired by the incident that struck GTA 6 Full Force: A massive leak that allowed us to find several videos of the game while it was still in the prototype stage. It should also be remembered that the very first trailer GTA 6, which aired in December, was leaked ahead of time. That prompted Rockstar Games to immediately release the trailer in a bit of a panic.

Rockstar Games can’t afford to once again suffer a leak (and one that must be controlled) even a few months before the highly anticipated launch. By not allowing its employees to work at home, the studio is minimizing the risk as much as possible. Tasks will be carried out in a controlled environment from A to Z, supported by less fragile infrastructure in the face of attacks (which is not necessarily for the individual, potentially more careless when it comes to cyber security issues).

In her email, Jane Kolbe also highlights the benefits of working face-to-face: “ Making these changes puts us in the best position to deliver the next GTA to a level of quality and polish it on a release schedule that matches the scale and ambition of the game. » In short, Rockstar Games believes so GTA 6 Banning teleworking would be better, which has undeniable benefits, but also has some negative consequences according to some studies (such as isolation).

In a press release issued on February 29, the IWGB Game Workers Union clarified that there will be rare exceptions and that the ban on teleworking will take effect on April 15 (along with the deactivation of remote access). It raises unsurprisingly serious concerns, employees point out.” A reckless decision », which can have consequences on health and quality of life – without forgetting the fear of crunch (ultra-intensive weeks). The IWGB game workers union had already circulated a petition to maintain full flexibility, while Rockstar Games wanted to return to three days per week in person. ” Working from home has been a lifeline for many of us at Rockstar », testifies an anonymous employee. Another alleges that managers did not consult at all.

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