Ajay Sujay Hanje, Pune
The GTA VI clips and gameplay leaks have led to worries and actions as it has been reported that Rockstar Games is calling their employees to work from the office starting this April for five days a week (as reported by Bloomberg). The reasons for these quick actions lie within the leaks. The game is entering its last stages of improvement, making the designers stressed around security slips and related mishaps for the much-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI.
Bloomberg reports that Rockstar Games Publishing Director Jenn Kolbe sent an email on Wednesday explaining the company’s decision to improve security measures and productivity in its games. This concern was raised by incidents such as the leaker scandal in September 2022 (the leaker was imprisoned indefinitely after threatening to do it again if released) and the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer was released the day before. Kolbe also said there are tangible benefits to working in an office compared to working online.
Jenn Kolbe further writes that the company is in the best shape to deliver the next Grand Theft Auto with the necessary level of maturity and quality, as well as a release schedule that matches the game’s ambitious scope and scale. As she said, this was achieved by making the necessary adjustments.
It’s not uncommon for studios like Rockstar Games to adopt return-to-office procedures.
IGN’s Rebekah Valentine reported in September 2023 that a similar process was underway at Ubisoft, with employees further angered by what they perceived as broken promises regarding the studio’s forced return to the office. In contrast, many remote game development projects have been successful, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Although Rockstar Games stated that they may not be affected by the leak, they seem stressed against the potential risks that leaks bring to them. By taking this step, Rockstar Games will be able to avoid any major leaks related to GTA 6 before the game’s actual release in 2025. Although the release date of the game has not been announced yet, fans are expecting the release date of this game to be as early as 2025.