With Grand Theft Auto 6 months away from its highly anticipated console debut, uncomfortable questions are surfacing about conditions inside Rockstar North. Current employees at the Edinburgh-based studio have come forward with allegations that overtime expectations are essentially hardcoded into their employment agreements — making it incredibly difficult to refuse extra hours without consequences.
The claims come from members of the newly formed Rockstar Game Workers Union, who spoke anonymously through industry publication Game Developer. Their accounts paint a picture of a workplace where compensation is unpredictable and crunch is treated as the default rather than the exception.
Working Time Regulations: Opt-Out by Design
Under UK law, the Working Time Regulations cap the average work week at 48 hours — but employers can ask staff to sign voluntary opt-outs for overtime. The union members allege that at Rockstar, this opt-out isn’t a choice. Instead, they claim it’s included as a standard clause in every employment contract.
“Crunch is prevalent enough that the company built into our contracts, as standard, an opt out of the Working Time Regulations that stops your employer being able to ask you to do more than about 10 hours extra each week,” one source explained.
The union apparently had to run an internal campaign just to make staff aware they could opt back into those protections — a move that reportedly prompted Rockstar management to simplify the opt-back-in process and drop the mandatory HR meeting requirement.
Bonuses as a Compliance Tool
The allegations extend beyond just working hours. Sources claim that a significant chunk of total compensation is delivered through bonuses that can fluctuate wildly from year to year, with deductions made based on what they describe as “completely subjective or retroactive criticisms.” One worker suggested as much as a fifth of their annual salary could vanish with little justification, creating an environment where staff feel pressure to stay compliant with management demands.
Career progression at the studio is reportedly “completely discretionary,” further entrenching that dynamic. Meanwhile, the gender pay gap is said to have widened as diversity and inclusion initiatives have been quietly shelved.
Night Shift Perks Gone, Remote Work Restrictions
Additional complaints include the removal of benefits for night shift workers and a return-to-office mandate that doesn’t appear to apply equally. While rank-and-file developers are expected to show up in person full-time, leadership reportedly continues to enjoy hybrid flexibility — a double standard that hasn’t gone unnoticed on the studio floor.
It’s worth noting that the sources are not part of the group of former Rockstar developers currently pursuing legal action against the company over alleged union-busting firings last year. These are separate claims from people still actively working on GTA 6.
Rockstar Responds
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, issued a statement in response: “We strive to make the best games possible by giving our talented teams world-class work environments and ongoing career opportunities. We have fostered a culture which is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness, and where we support and reward the team across all levels of the business through competitive compensation and benefits policies.”
The company also acknowledged receiving the union’s request for voluntary recognition and said it would “arrange to meet” to discuss it.
With GTA 6 on track for a November launch, these allegations cast a shadow over what should be one of the biggest game releases of the decade. The newly formed union is hoping to negotiate better conditions with studio leadership — if Rockstar agrees to formally recognize them.
Jordan Hayes is a staff writer at SteamGamer.net covering PC gaming news, hardware, and the latest from the Steam ecosystem. When not writing, Jordan is probably buried in a roguelike or arguing about GPU prices.
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