LogInThe employees are afraid that the crunch practices may return.
Image credit: Rockstar, GTA 6
Last week, we reported that Rockstar wanted the developers working on the upcoming GTA 6 back in the office as the studio was nearing the final stages of the game's development.
The company stated that this step would help prevent the leaks Rockstar had been facing. Starting in April, employees should return to the office for a five-day workweek to finish the game.
As expected, not everyone is happy with Rockstar's decision. The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and several of its members who work for Rockstar have strongly criticized the decision. They argue that the decision to end remote working for most employees on April 15 is just the latest broken promise and could result in the re-emergence of unhealthy working conditions at the company.
"Working from home has been a lifeline for many of us at Rockstar, allowing us to balance care responsibilities, manage disabilities, and relocate as we need. Now, Rockstar is snatching away that lifeline without a second thought for the workers who'll be impacted most," shared one anonymous employee (via VGC).
We all know how the game development processes are hard for the mental state of employees, as the crunch practices might become a common thing, especially when the game is close to being released.
Some employees have mentioned the late hours they'll have to spend at work due to calls with global teams, the uncertainty of not being able to see their families for extended periods, and health concerns that prevent some workers from working in the office.
"After so many broken promises we now fear management may even be paving the way for a return to toxic "crunch" practices. Senior leadership need to rethink their reckless decision making and engage with their staff to find an arrangement that works for everyone," added another developer (via VGC).
A few others have shared that the studio hasn't talked to them about this decision, which is disappointing, making it look like the only thing the leadership is concerned about is the game but not the developers who are putting all their efforts and soul into making it.
"Workers across the industry are done with letting executives make reckless and harmful decisions and the Rockstar workers are showing us the start 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 the healthy and sustainable games industry we know it can be," stated IWGB Game Workers Chair Austin Kelmore (via Eurogamer).
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