What you need to know
- Rockstar Games had several reports of mismanagement and crunch culture back in 2018.
- According to a new report from Jason Schreier of Kotaku, Rockstar Games has taken steps to improve work conditions since then.
- Time will tell how these improvements continue.
Back in 2018, when as Rockstar Games was getting ready to release Red Dead Redemption 2, several reports indicated that the company had some serious issues stemming from crunch culture, mismanagement and cases of sexual harrasment. Now, there's some good news. According to a follow-up report from Jason Schreier, Rockstar Games has been taking steps to fix these problems.
Reportedly, the company is providing more flexible work hours, new leadership training and is taking steps to cut down on crunch. Multiple employees spoke anonymously to to Schreier, saying that it felt like the company was on the right track and that it felt like a "healthier culture."
"We have taken conscious steps to improve our approach to developing games in order to reduce the need for overtime," executive Jennifer Kolbe wrote in an email to staff. "We realise we still have plenty to do in this area and will continue to take steps so we can more accurately predict and schedule games and DLC in a way that is more sustainable but still allows us the creative flexibility to iterate on the incredibly ambitious and complex games we make."
Earlier this year, Rockstar Games vice president and creative director Dan Houser announced he was leaving the company. Like most other publishers and studios around the world, Rockstar Games implemented a work from home policy earlier this year as a result of the ongoing outbreak.
We'll have to wait and see how these cultural changes at the company will shape up over the next couple of years.
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