- Rockstar Games has been accused of enabling abusive relationships through employee contracts
- Union members say there is a lack of transparency around pay and bonuses Grand Theft 6 study
- The union accuses the studio of scrapping initiatives aimed at addressing gender-based pay inequality
Grand Theft Auto 6 Studio and industry giant Rockstar Games has been accused of unfair working conditions that include enabling crunch culture, failing to address gender-based pay disparities and weaponizing bonuses.
Three members of the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU) spoke to Game Developer in a major interview – although they wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal – and claimed that the studio is trying to normalize crunch.
“Crunch is widespread enough that by default the company has built into our contracts an opt-out clause that prevents your employer from being able to ask you to do more than about 10 hours extra each week,” a source explained, referring to UK protections that can be voluntarily given up by employees.
“The union successfully ran a campaign to inform people that they could opt back into the rules at any time, which resulted in Rockstar management simplifying the process and removing the obligation to meet with HR,” the source added.
“Part of the problem with crunch is that there is no agreed definition, and now the company seems to think that offering specific and limited compensation as an incentive for overtime means that it no longer qualifies as crunch.”
While some teams at Rockstar never screw up, it claims there are also departments that “seem to never get along – and often colleagues don’t realize the opposing group exists.”
The interview also includes allegations that workers were forced to return to the office and forgo hybrid or telecommuting benefits, a mandate that reportedly did not apply to company executives, and there is a lack of transparency around pay and bonuses.
A “significant portion” of most employees’ compensation packages comes in the form of bonuses that fluctuate, often for no apparent reason. It is claimed that the compensation workers receive falls below the market rate compared to adjacent industry work, with one source saying: “When the bonus is particularly good it can be a winner, but often the bonus is disappointing and you can end up being paid significantly less than expected for the year.
“The rationale for this is often nebulous, inconsistent between departments, even inconsistent between team members within the same department, and sometimes dependent on completely subjective or retroactive criticism.”
Promotions are also said to be difficult to secure at the studio because Rockstar regularly moves the goalposts when career paths are discussed.
“The biggest problem is that [bonuses and progression are] all entirely at the company’s discretion, and they’re under no obligation to show their work,” the source added. “Employees want good pay, and if literally anything they do that year could affect that, they’ll naturally feel like they have to be as flexible as possible to their boss’s whims. Imagine [how you might feel if] one-fifth of your salary could be withheld without any justification or based on a single surprise factor.”
Gender pay inequality is another issue the union members discussed, informing Game Developer that the gap between median salaries for different genders has widened at Rockstar and that initiatives aimed at addressing this imbalance have been scrapped.
Union workers say all of these issues have created a sense of imbalance and unfairness at the studio and feel that employees are not adequately compensated for GTA 6which is set to be the biggest game launch ever.
A spokesperson for Take-Two Interactive provided a statement to the game developer in response to the allegations. It reads: “We strive to make the best games possible by providing our talented teams with world-class work environments and ongoing career opportunities. We have fostered a culture focused on teamwork, excellence and friendliness, and where we support and reward the team across all levels of the company through competitive compensation and benefits policies.
“We are proud that as a result our employee retention is well above the industry standard. We have received a request from a union seeking to discuss voluntary recognition. We value an open and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders and will arrange to meet.”
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