Take-Two CEO says GTA 6 release date delays avoided crunch, contrary to Rockstar leak

Recently, a Glassdoor review leak suggested that Rockstar Games employees were struggling with a time crunch. As the November 19th GTA 6 release date approaches, the studio seems determined to elude another delay. A new Business Insider interview with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed the topic.

What is really going on at Rockstar?

On May 1st, a negative evaluation from a Rockstar Games QA Analyst based in Bengaluru, India surfaced on the job site. The individual expressed concerns about forced unpaid overtime and an unrealistic workload. Gamers also discovered that over the past 30 days, the atmosphere at the company had become more tense.

It remains unclear whether the review is legitimate. The developers have faced accusations of mistreating employees in the past. Unfortunately, Business Insider didn’t ask Zelnick to comment on the posting. However, he did confirm that the GTA 6 release date delays were intended to avoid such a time crunch.

The CEO reaffirmed that Take-Two discourages stressful last-minute efforts to finish projects. Referring to his college experience, he explained, “You do your homework, you don't pull an all-nighter.”

While the publisher acquired Rockstar in the late 1990s, the secretive studio likely can implement its own policies. Nevertheless, other GTA 6 leaks have hinted that the game's long development cycle is intentional. In May, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier revealed that there was “a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch.”

The agonizing wait for GTA 6

Other fans have questioned why regular overtime would be necessary. It’s believed that production began in 2020 or earlier. Since then, followers have been suffering from a slow content drip teasing impressive graphics, including two trailers.

There are expectations that, with Take-Two's next earnings call on May 21st, a third trailer could debut soon. Or, in the worst-case scenario, investors may learn about another release date postponement. Zelnick wouldn’t provide clues, but when talking to GameFile’s Stephen Totilo recently, he seemed confident in the game. The executive called the demos he had seen “amazing.”