Rockstar Games Employees Report Another Round of Crunch Time Due to GTA 6 Release—80 Hours a Week

It's not a secret that GTA 6 is the most anticipated video game of 2026 and likely the biggest game of the year, but for Rockstar Games, it may also be the most ambitious project in the company's history. Undoubtedly, the development demands a tremendous amount of effort and time, and there have been multiple reports of the studio's employees facing significant overtime—with yet another example recently coming to light.

As spotted by Reddit users, with a reference to anonymous Rockstar Games Workers Union representatives, a recent report claims that some employees are working 80-hour weeks in order to meet all the deadlines leading up to the release of GTA 6. The specific positions involved have not been revealed; however, as previously mentioned, this isn't the first time we've heard about such significant overtime at the company, so there is likely some truth to these reports.

REPORT: Rockstar Games employees are reportedly working up to 80-HOUR weeks amid crunch ahead of GTA 6's release.

The claim comes from an anonymous member of the Rockstar Games Workers Union.

Speaking of the Rockstar Games Workers Union, it was recently revealed that some of the company's developers founded it with the intention of filing a lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company. In their report, they also spoke about issues such as unpaid overtime, an unfair bonus system, and other problems within the studio. Previously, an Indian developer working at Rockstar's Bengaluru office revealed that overtime is a common practice and is not compensated separately. Moreover, the studio's management reportedly expects employees to complete certain tasks within 2-3 months, when it would normally take more than twice as long under a standard work schedule.

For now, you can also find out everything we know about GTA 6 so far - the story, gameplay, map, open world, platforms, and more - as well as how GTA 6 is reshaping the 2026 game calendar and everything about GTA 6 pre-order details: price, bonuses, exact time, and Ultimate Edition.

Grand Theft Auto VI will release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.