A Rockstar Games employee involved in the development of GTA 6 has reportedly revealed significant internal details about the studio. This disclosure follows several days of protests by recently terminated employees and the announcement of the game’s six-month delay.
An anonymous developer， using the pseudonym “Organize，” shared extensive information about Rockstar’s internal operations on GTA Forums shortly after the delay announcement. The developer has reportedly verified their identity to forum administrators as a long-standing Rockstar Games employee and a union member.
The developer began by expressing concern that many GTA players seem to believe the justifications provided by Rockstar and Take-Two for the recent layoffs. They then detailed the dismissal process for 34 developers. According to the report， targeted employees were called into “short， friendly meetings” before receiving redundancy notices.
The employee claims that Rockstar did not provide any documented reasons for the dismissals. Furthermore， the company reportedly refused to allow developers union representation during these meetings， which the employee asserts may be a violation of UK labor laws. Following these meetings， some employees were escorted from the premises. For those not on-site， Human Resources allegedly conducted brief phone calls to deliver the termination news. In one instance， a terminated developer reportedly experienced a panic attack during a call with HR， leading HR to swiftly end the conversation.
Organize believes that the dismissed employees were dedicated and hardworking individuals who had dedicated close to two decades of their careers to Rockstar. Their roles spanned various crucial areas of game development， from lead artists and designers to producers and department heads. Given their expertise and experience， finding suitable replacements is anticipated to be challenging， potentially impacting the development timeline.
Regarding the reasons for the layoffs， Organize suggested that the union had recently reached a milestone of 200 members two weeks prior， a threshold that typically enables negotiations with upper management regarding employee concerns. He further indicated that crucial issues within the company include excessive workloads， described as “rigid working conditions，” and “insufficient compensation.” The employee’s account suggests that instead of addressing these problems， the company has adopted a strategy of suppressing unionization efforts. This has led to widespread anxiety among current employees， who fear becoming the next to be laid off. The source lamented that “studio morale is at an all-time low，” with many hesitant to even acknowledge a connection between the protests and the current turmoil.
The developer concluded by expressing a stark contrast between anticipating the upcoming year and the current feeling of exhaustion and distrust. They stated their collective goal is to foster a happier， fairer， safer， and more egalitarian workplace at Rockstar， asserting that the employees care more about their colleagues’ well-being than the company itself.
It is important to note that these claims represent the perspective of a single， albeit reportedly verified， employee. Rockstar and Take-Two have not yet issued official statements regarding these recent issues， and further developments are anticipated.
